I've Found (In) Myself a Cheerleader
by getintothegroove
Summary: Ms. Rollins wants to have a good cheerleading team for an upcoming cheer competition. She thinks that Sam is the only one, who can handle the pressure and lead the team to the victory. Hostile aliens will try to make the former MBC team fallout by messing with their heads and feelings. Dark secrets will be revealed. Will love and friendship be stronger? SamxChris, CathyxDanny
1. Foreword

**Disclaimer: I don't own MBC, nor the characters. Some of the quotes are taken from the movies Fired Up! and Bring It On.**

 **Brief information:**

Status: In Progress

Rating: T for Teen (mature themes, strong language)

Genres: Mainly Friendship and Romance, but also Humor, Drama with a bit of Suspense.

When: Senior year of high school.

Their age: Around 18.

Pairings: Sam x Chris, Cathy x Danny

Main theme: Cheerleading, problems teenagers have and the importance of friendship.

Other themes: Teenage pregnancy, bulimia, sexual identity, threesomes and everything in between.

 **Warning:** I am not a native speaker, my mother tongue is Czech. I'll try to avoid mistakes, either way, don't be harsh on me, please.

 **...**

 **Summary:**

Ms. Rollins wants to have a good cheerleading team for an upcoming cheer competition. She thinks that Sam is the only one, who can handle the pressure and lead the team to victory. Hostile aliens will try to make the former MBC team fallout by messing with their heads and feelings. Dark secrets will be revealed. Will it destroy their friendship and relationships? Or will be love more powerful than alien dark magic?

It isn't focused on Sam only! She plays a major role in the plot, but I want to focus on the stories of others too. This story has several storylines, they collide and merge sometimes. To help you keep track of everything, I will write the important events that happened prior to the story.

 **...**

 **Important events that happened BEFORE the story:**

 **Cathy, Chris, Danny, and Sam** retired from hunting aliens a month before the story. They are just regular teenagers and high school seniors know, concerning their futures and relationships. The new MBC team consists of **John** , Chris's younger brother, who took his place as a gadgeteer, **Calum** , Cathy's cousin, whose superpower is telepathy and telekinesis. The two girls are **Alexa** , a soccer player, and John's crush. The other one being **Maxie** , a quiet Asian girl that comes up with most strategies and plans.

 **Sam and Chris** got married half a year prior to this story. Since Chris is a king (referring to episode It's Not Good To Be King), he had to get married and the lucky girl, who has been chosen to marry him was Sam. Their love was platonic before the wedding. After the wedding, it got sexual as well (you can read the story of their wedding on my profile - The King's Queen). They truly love each other. Sam is struggling with her lack of emotions though and is unable to show Chris what he means to her, which is a main source of their problems. Chris is a little confused by the friendly nature of their marriage. They are switching places between Sam's and Chris' house. Though they are officially dating, the fact that they are married is not public.

 **Cathy and Danny** broke up a month before the story starts. It may be because of Danny's selfishness or that they are not well prepared to have a serious (and sexual) relationship. They were dating for 5 months. Cathy is devasted and Danny tries to cope with his heartache by being mean and flirty. They both secretly want to be together again, but none of them is willing to make the first step. But as we all know, love has its own way.

 **Sam and Danny** got closer after his breakup with Cathy. That makes Sam's friendship with Cathy a bit awkward. Apparently, she is the only one, who can stand his confidence and deadpan snarking, since she has the same qualities. (Author Note: Sometimes I see, why people tend to pair these two. When you have a Tsundere girl and a Jerk with a heart of gold, you get Belligerent sexual tension, which was their case on the show. I personally think their relationship is an interesting topic, thus I will include it in my story.)

 **...**

 **Author Note:**

 **Sam, Chris, and Danny** are my OTT (not only mine for sure - if there is an OTT in the MBC fandom universe, it has to be this combination). They are the original characters after all. They were friends long before Cathy came and probably used to hang out a lot. Since my readers seem to enjoy childhood memories in my stories, I want to focus on these three as well and get more recognition for them. After I finish this story I might write a story focused on them only. PM me if you would be interested in that. The only story here that focuses on this topic is The Wild Bunch by FFictious - maybe I could contribute from the female point of view since I have experienced a love triangle with two boys? While Chris and Danny are bros, but complete opposites (Chris is the lovable nerd/sensitive guy, Danny is the lovable jerk/jock), Sam connects them. She protects Chris from being bullied and stands by Danny's side despite his flaws and conflict tendencies.

I think that the MBC creators did splendid work with the characters. They are so different but work well together. As I've mentioned earlier, there are a lot of opposites: Chris as a nerd and Danny as a jock, Sam as a tomboy (also a feminist, her hobbies are mostly masculine though - video games, martial arts, kicking butts, on the other hand, she also enjoys cooking/baking, is artistic and protective) (or Tsundere A) and Cathy as a girly girl (but also Tsundere B), while Chris and Sam seem to me as introverts, Cathy and Danny love people and social interactions and have great social skills (Cathy started as a social weirdo, but improved over time), which I can't say about Chris nor Sam. They also form a Four-Temperament Ensemble: Cathy is sanguine, Danny is choleric, Chris is melancholic, which leaves Sam as phlegmatic, which doesn't suit her perfectly, but you gotta admit, Sam is controlled, careful and reliable, which are phlegmatic traits. She is sometimes referenced to be "the only sane man".

 **...**

Props to you, if you've read everything! I would love to get your opinions on the topics mentioned above. I really hope you'll click on Chapter 1 and start reading the story, which is going to be interesting, I promise! I wanted to make the foreword more impressive since that is the main factor while deciding whether to read the story or not. I hope that I got you into the groove a little. Love you all. Feel free to PM me if you want to. (Updated: 24-08-2019)

 **Get Into The Groove**


	2. 1: Emotions

**I don't own MBC nor the characters. Rated T for mature themes and strong language.**

The vibe of the chapter: Supergirl by Anna Naklab - _And then she'd say that nothing can go wrong when you're in love, what can be wrong? And then she'd laugh the night time into day pushing her fear further alone..._

 **Sam's POV:**

I can't believe we are graduating this year. I remember being in middle school as if it was yesterday. I used to do karate, then kickbox and then I chose to do gymnastics instead. Many people were shocked because I have always been more of a sports for boys (but girls can do it too, and better!) type. I was a pretty active girl then. Martial arts, volunteer work, school, alien busting, supporting whales, homeless people, and released prisoners. Hardly ever had I time for myself, or to have fun. I am serious, I am putting work and duties first. People say I am emotionless, dull, too tough, too stiff. They call me a boss lady and an activist. I am definitely more than that! And I can't wait for the day I'll prove them wrong. I don't want to be emotionless in people's eyes. Not anymore.

"Chris? Do you think I am emotionless?" I asked him directly, yet quietly. We were sitting next to each other in a science class at the moment.

"What do you mean by that? We got married for love, didn't we?" Said somehow concerned Chris.

"Yes but.. don't you think I lack strong emotions?" I was eager to know what he thinks.

"You just have trust issues. To me, Danny and Cathy you seem normal. I think you have a soft spot for some things or people. You definitely aren't an empty box."

And with that, we heard our school's loudspeaker melody.

"I hope that we are having another Baby Project!" squeaked Cathy. She's so joyful and enthusiastic about everything. Don't get me wrong, I like it about her, but a Baby Project? That's a high school nightmare. Literally.

"Stand still soldiers! I am about to make an announcement! Since the Singletown High haven't made the state, nor region competition in the last 4 years, cheer tryouts are held tomorrow! Even the current cheer team members have to attend, your place is no longer for granted! Expect major changes in the team. And I want to see Samantha O'Hara in my office NOW."

 _What a day, I hope it isn't anything crucial._

"What's the matter Sam, did you bake cookies instead of biscuits for the bake sale to help retired soldiers?" Said Mark with a grin.

"Shut the f up, Mark!" I lost my cool.

"Samantha, manners," Danny says this quote every time I curse.

"Good luck," whispered Chris as I was standing up.

 _In the Principal's office_

 _I can't deny having a strange feeling from this session. I don't get why Rollins isn't serving the military instead of running this school. I think she would be happier. On the other hand, she seems calmer since she is seeing Mr. Smith._

"You paid attention to the announcement?" Bawled the principal.

"Umm.. yes, but what it has to do with me exactly?"

"Samantha, our cheer team sucks." Wait, did she really say it this way? Oh, she did. "We need a new team, a new captain, a new routine and a new battle plan. Got it?"

"I am certainly missing a point here - why don't you speak to Wendy instead?"

"Wendy was the captain for 3 years straight due to her popularity and gold locks, but she won't fool me anymore. Last year we even lost to the middle and elementary school cheerleaders."

"I recall that. It was pretty embarrassing."

"And that all happened because their practice was a chat club! Some of them can't even do a cartwheel. Did they practice harder? No, they discussed birth control and celebrities. So I made up my mind and came to a conclusion: We need a new captain. You." Wait, is she serious? Oh, she is.

"Me? I've never done it!" I almost had a heart attack, when she said that.

"But you can do stunts and tricks, you are a gymnast after all. You and football team members are our best athletes. Plus you can write it down on your college application. Don't bring me down, just say yes."

"I don't know how to do it and I know nothing about cheerleading." I tried to defend myself. I am an athlete, not a Hollaback girl.

"Well, you've always been a good student, so practice and learn. Tomorrow I want you to organize a cheer tryout. Choose girls for your team wisely. That's everything soldier, you can go."

"Oh, and by the way... thanks for calling me by my maiden name."

"That was nothing. Not everyone in this school has to know that you got married."

 _By the lockers_

"Chris, I am not a cheerleader material. How am I going to do this? I am graduating this year, I have other things to do!"

"You are going to be great as always if you want to. Sam I know doesn't give up without a fight. Just wear that skirt and do some tumbling. And if you don't wanna deal with the mean girls... don't choose them. Easy. I think you will enjoy it with your bossy nature."

"I'll need your help." After all this time I've finally learned to ask for help when I need it. I know that I can't do this alone.

"Anything you want."

"Moral support... and maybe a strategy."

"Tonight, we will plan it all. In the meantime, I know what to do to make sure every girl in this high school knows about the tryouts. And we will make it sexy."

 _In the school cafeteria_

Danny was standing on the cafeteria table in his quarterback jersey.

"Girls, I am going to be a judge - don't worry if I won't choose you, at least you will be able to do a selfie with me."

"This is your 'sexy' plan to notify the girls? This doesn't help."

"Some girls are simple - show them a boy they know well, promise a reward. He's popular, and popular people attract other people." _He has a point, I hope it will work somehow._

"Me and Danny as a committee... I have a feeling Wendy won't like this at all."

 _In the school gym_

"So YOU are in the charge now, boss lady? You don't know what cheerleading is about!" Wendy yelled at me.

"Neither do you, if you have to be replaced by a gymnast."

"It's easy to come for the last year and moralize."

"Do you really think I want to be a cheerleader? I'll have to change everything in my life to be able to handle this."

"I don't really care, what you gotta change. I worked hard to be a captain and now I have to go to the try-outs with all the unpopular girls! And you know who is going to decide about my destiny? You and your heart-broken friend! In that case, I shouldn't even bother showing up!"

"Listen... the truth is I need you in the team. You know the basics, you know the girls. I just want you to show me, how it's done and what you got, because, as you said earlier, I don't know shit about cheerleading."

"Finally, you said something that makes sense. First things first, since you are wearing a yellow dress right now, I want to remind you that the school colors are blue, white and black, show some school spirit at least! Borrow something from Chris."

"I am wearing normal clothes, I don't get that trend when cheerleaders wear their uniform to school."

"About that... Try to convince Rollins to buy us new uniforms... These are out of style."

 _Great.. and now what?_

 **So, what do you guys think? Do you think that Sam is a cheerleader "material" after all? She sure has the look and abilities. I'll be grateful for your reviews, follows or favorites!**

 **Get Into The Groove**


	3. 2: Worries

**Hi, darlings! Another chappy here. Just a quick disclaimer: I don't own MBC and I want to focus on problems teenagers have. I don't want to disrespect anyone. But I feel an urge to write and increase awareness through this story. I hope it won't discourage you.**

The vibe of the chapter: More Than You Know by Axwell and Ingrosso (also the lyrics are quoted in this chapter) - _You had your reasons, you had a few, but you knew that I would go anywhere for you, 'cause it ain't over until she sings - I just need to get it off my chest..._

 _A day after_

Danny's POV

My life has been easy. I am popular, talented, likable. I am grateful that I have friends and parents who love me. My father was a popular guy at school, now he is a cop - so he still is popular, in his own way. The perk of being cop's son is that I can drive like crazy and get away with it. Sam would say I am reckless and irresponsible - which is true, I am glad to have her to remind me. Chris would probably say I can't drive and I am just trying to get people's attention - which is also true. They know me after all.

Maybe I should be a better person. But my mom says I am good at heart. She's so nice to everyone. She has based a "Singletown moms community". I heard a few "sessions" and their favorite topics are gossip, knitting, erotic novels, muffin recipes and naturally, their kids. Even Mark's mom goes there, so I know all the newest mother-like scoop.

There's nothing in this world that bothers me. I am as carefree, as Cathy. I am glad she stayed here even though we don't catch aliens anymore. Time has come - we had retired. Now there is room for 4 new heroes. We have different things to fight with now... like graduation. And breakups... And now that cheerleader nonsense.

 _In the school gymnasium_

"I hope this audition will be over soon." I sighed.

"It's called try-out, Danny. And we have to do it properly if we want to win," said Sam. She is wearing a really short blue dress just to show her school spirit. She has beautiful long legs, so why not. Those years when she wore tomboy clothes are finally gone.

"All work and no fun makes Samantha a dull girl. You should go to a party or... play cards with Chris or something." I suggested. By cards, I didn't mean cards exactly.

"We do play cards together. But life isn't a game Danny, you have to do things you don't like as well." And with that, Chris sat next to Sam. "I'll help you. Tumbling is all about physics after all."

"More like short skirts and firm butts."

"Now I feel like Tyra Banks in America's Next Top Model, having two Jays by my side." Sam looked into her papers. "36 people did fill out the questionnaire. This is going to be a looong day. Anyways, let's start."

"Who's first?" I asked. _I have to admit I am looking forward to seeing all the girls._

"Wendy, and what's worse, as a former captain, I have to take her and listen to her shit the whole year."

"Manners, Samantha!" I said my favorite quote.

Wendy came into the room. Cheer audition, ehm, try-outs were held in the school gym. Us three were sitting by a table with notebooks and pens, ready to see the fresh meat. Wendy had her iconic high ponytail with a cheer bow. She walked to us confidently and when she saw Chris, she froze.

"What is that nerd doing here?" _Even though I like her, I have to admit that she has a really annoying voice. And I don't like how she talks about my best friend._

"Judging. And I am hard to impress, so you better work it." Chris said with confidence. He's a smart boy, he knows that the best way to deal with an overconfident person is acting the same way. Wendy grinned and showed us her routine.

"Can you do some tumbling too?" Sam clearly wasn't as impressed as I was.

"Tumbling? Is it necessary? This isn't gymnastics, you know?" Wendy seemed passive-aggressive.

"Cheerleading is a mix-up of gymnastics, short skirts, dancing, and retarded chanting. And no tumbling is the reason why you were losing all the time. You gotta risk it to get the biscuit." Said Sam with a smile.

Wendy has done a cartwheel unwillingly. "At least it's something. But I expected a little more from you. A promise is a promise. You are in, but you have to work harder."

Wendy smiled significantly and stormed out of the hall.

"35 more to go," whispered Chris.

"I don't know if I should cry or be afraid who will come next..." Sam sounded defeated. "There's no way we can win this thing."

"I know that she was a captain and the fact she can hardly do a cartwheel is alarming, but look on the bright side - many talented people who were afraid of her are auditioning. And you can put her in the back of the formation, so people won't see her messing it up."

"Really funny Chris. I don't think someone is going to be better than her. Who's next?"

"Cathy."

"I didn't know she is auditioning, I mean trying out." I was surprised because she didn't tell me. It seems like I am the only one not knowing it. Maybe I shouldn't be so surprised. We don't talk much anymore. It hurt either way.

Cathy came in front of us with a huge smile on her face. She had two ponytails and pink sports bra. As I more think about it, she is a cheerleader material - slim, blonde, brisk, flexible, positive, beautiful.

"Cath, I am skipping the interview part, because we all know you already. Just tell me, why do you want to be a part of the cheerleading team?" I took the chance and asked her before Sam did.

"I've always wanted to try it but didn't like the girls on the team. Now it's different, cheers are having a new great leader!" She squeaked enthusiastically.

Sam smiled. "Go ahead."

Cathy chose a song on her iPod and started her routine.

 _Your good intentions are sweet and pure_ _  
_ _But they can never tame a fire like yours_

 _Come a little closer, let me taste your smile_ _  
_ _Until the morning lights_ _  
_ _Ain't no going back the way you look tonight_ _  
_ _I see it in your eyes_

It was a really fast and joyful song ( _A/N title: More Than You Know_ ). She danced airily and did some tumbling too. I have to admit, she was better than Wendy. I'd rather see HER in the team.

"That was really good. You deserve a spot on the team - I need someone to keep me sane. You are in."

"Zeeewa!" Screamed Cathy happily and left the room while jumping.

"Now you have 3 people in the team if I count you too." Chris was analyzing the situation again. He really likes statistics. Maybe that's the reason why Sam wanted him here. "NEXT!"

The next girl was quite fat.

"Sam, she is maybe too well-feeded! This isn't what we want. She should go on a diet instead of going here." _(A/N I don't want to emit fat-shaming vibes. Not at all. I want to show that you don't have to be slim and „perfect" to do what you want to do. This is a serious matter nowadays and I want to shed a light on it. Danny will find out further as the story will progress.)_

"Why?"

"Because in cheerleading, we throw people into the air. And fat people don't go as high."

"You are the reason why there are so many bulimic girls, Dan. She isn't fat, she is.. curvy."

"Curvy? Her butt is so big it should get a twitter account!"

"Stop it, Danny, she is coming closer, she could hear you." Said Chris. Lucky to have him, to save the human race from jerks like me.

"What's your name?" Sam grabbed a pen and started making notes.

"Silvi." said the girl. "You know, many people said I shouldn't go here because I am not slim enough"

"As long as you will try and work hard, I don't see any problem with it. Who cares about other people's opinions? It's about how YOU feel. If you feel like trying cheer, why not. Start your routine whenever you are ready."

Sam liked it. Silvi moved quite well...for a fat girl. Then she left. Sam is going to decide tonight and announce the results tomorrow.

"It wasn't that bad, but don't take her," I said decisively.

"I want to see what I can teach her. You have to admit she has potential, her dancing wasn't bad. What do you think Chris?"

"I think that she has done pretty well for a girl that isn't fit."

"Thanks, Chris. Next is Alexa."

"Alexa? My brother has a crush on her." Little John is no longer little...

"Alexa? You mean the device?" I tried to make a joke.

"No, I mean the girl from freshman year."

"A freshman? Too young to handle the pressure" Wendy came from nowhere and sat on my lap.

"What are you doing here?" said concerned Chris.

"I'll definitely be more helpful than you, Chris. I am just curious about what will the little girl show us."

A girl with bright red curly shoulder-length hair came in.

"Name?"

"Alexa Hale".

"Have you done cheer before?" Asked Wendy while grinning.

"No ma'am, I used to play soccer." _Ma'am? Is she trying to get on Wendy's blacklist?_

"Soccer? That's the opposite of cheerleading! You aren't a cheerleader material, sorry." Wendy returned the attack.

"I'll prove you wrong, blondie." As she said that, she put on her song and started her routine. I have to admit, this girl is a wild one, she is sympathetic. The crowd would love her. She reminds me of Cathy a little, but Alexa is more cheeky and tough.

She chose dubstep as her routine music. Interesting choice, no wonder why John likes her - her favorite music style reminds him of his beloved electronics!

"I like you, Alexa, you are in." Said Sam.

"Excuse me? She is too young!" Wendy seemed mad. And jealous.

"Wendy, this is not a democracy, it's a cheerocracy. I'm sorry, but I'm overruling you." Sam winked on Alexa and shouted "NEXT!"

The next girl was Elle. She's a girl with a bad reputation. Maybe she wants to be seen in different colors than we know her – as a promiscuous party hustler. Her tryout went quite good until Wendy started to give her nasty questions.

Chloe came next. I know her, she is Wendy's minion and a former teammate. Always bragging about how rich her dad is. And her routine? Nothing special. No tumbling. Sam doesn't like non-tumblers.

Then a girl with a „month name" came. April? May? June I think. She seemed determinate to make a team. And maybe she will, Sam likes determination. The month-girl looked fearless. Another blonde. I have a soft spot for them. I can't deny it. I mean, Sam is a beautiful young woman too and Chris is lucky to have her, but she isn't blonde, not my type.

Bianca was a typical weird girl. She looked clueless and confused. I bet her mom said something like: „Go out, try cheer, make friends!". And she was like: „Do I have to?". Sam likes everything endangered and lost, maybe she will take Bianca under her wings.

Wendy was talking about some Layla the whole time. According to her, she is a new girl who transferred yesterday. She knows her because she has attended the state cheer competition. That basically makes her a celebrity. Kinda. Of course, she was the last girl to come. But not least! Strawberry blonde – I had a very hard time just sitting there the whole afternoon watching blonde after blonde in short skirts cheering. I was cheered after that for sure.

„Just for your information, Mark wants to make a team too. Since he is a boy, he didn't have to come today." Sam said it as it was nothing. This is a big deal!

„Why not, I would like to see this blonde too. I hope he is going to wear a skirt." I was just curious if boys do have some privileges in this team, I want to be aware.

„While we are at it, I would like to try out too." I hope I just overheard. Does Chris want to be a cheerleader? That's for girls, gays and suicidal heterosexuals and I assume he is none of them.

„Whoa dude, are you gay?"

„I am not gay. I am married to Sam." He whispered back.

„She has bigger balls than you," I answered, Sam raised her eyebrow and Chris stood up.

„Please, tell me this is just a joke." Wendy seemed confused. It was confusing to me too.

„Wendy, the more boys in the team, the merrier and better. Or do you want to be a base? We need strong boys, they will take our routines to the next level."

„Is he strong enough? Can he tumble? Danny would be better for this." _Am I suicidal in Wendy's eyes or what?_

„As I more think about it, three boys are better than just two." _Sam, not you too!_

„You girls can't be serious." I resisted.

„Can I show you a round-off I was learning the whole night?" Said somewhat upset Chris.

We nodded and he did… something. I guess that's what a round-off looks like, it didn't seem that hard but seeing Chris do it made me cringe. Then he did a handstand as an encore.

„You did great Chris, now back to me. I can't be a cheerleader, girls, I have a reputation to maintain!" I was upset, are they all insane?

„Once you told me that you could watch Sex and the City with Elton John underneath your dress and you would still look as straight as an arrow, so what's the matter?" I can't believe Chris did pull this out right here, right now.

„Cheerleading and that are completely different things!"

„I don't care. This year, we have an opportunity and I would do WHATEVER it takes to win. Stop talking shit and think about all the girls you are going to hold upon your head." Wendy was furious, I didn't know she takes it so seriously. Chris and Sam were waiting for my response. Wendy would hate me if I said no.

"CHEEROCRACY!" Screamed Sam on the top of her lungs.

 _Well.. this DOES bother me. My life won't be so easy anymore. Now I am on the same boat as girls like Silvi and Bianca. My social life is officially over._

 **Hmm.. the Danny as a cheerleader? And why did Chris and Cathy try out? Maybe there is something shady going on in the school. One of the cheerleaders is hiding something. I'll be glad for a review, as always.**

 _ **Get Into The Groove**_


	4. 3: Insecurities

**Long-time, no update! I will try to update more frequently than once a year. I was busy learning for my final high school exams (like graduating in the US).**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own MBC.**

 **This chapter is in retrospective. The things that happen in this chapter happened between chapter 1 and chapter 2. Anyway, enjoy it!**

The vibe of the chapter: Change the World by Eric Clapton - _If I could be king, even for a day, I'd take you as my queen, I'd have it no other way..._

 ** _The day before the cheer try-outs._**

 **Chris' POV**

Sometimes I miss monster busting, still, I am glad John is in the new team. MBC needs a Lang to invent new devices and gadgets! I can help them anytime, I am more experienced than them after all. I've done it for almost 6 years, the new team started working together a month ago. I don't even know them yet. The only thing I know is that the team consists of two boys and two girls, they are all freshmen and the second male alongside John is Calum, Cathy's cousin. They look a lot alike. They both have blonde hair and cyan eyes... Well, at least one of them. Cal has one blue and one green eye. He can't stretch his limbs as Cathy, his ability is telepathy and telekinesis. Which might come in handy during missions. He's a mysterious kind of a guy, definitely not that outgoing and bubbly as Cath.

I am grateful to have such an opportunity to bond a strong relationship with my teammates and to embrace love with Sam. Our marriage was arranged, but heaven knows we both wanted it quietly. I had a huge crush on her but was too shy to do something and let her know. It all got better eventually. My teen years are almost over and I am glad to say: I am proud of who I am now. I used to be bullied and made fun of. Now I am proud.

Sam helped me a lot with this, she's a perfect role model. She inspires me to be more creative and to overcome myself. To be a stronger person. Unfortunately, I am not that physical and I was practically doomed without my inventions while being on duty. I felt insecure... I still sometimes do. Who doesn't? Danny is insecure himself, but he is hiding it behind acting OVERconfident. I don't like this side of him. He still loves Cathy but he will never admit it. He'll never apologize to her. He's afraid of having a relationship and failing again. We all have insecurities I guess. And after their break up, it got even worse. They had some sort of a romance going on in the time of our wedding and shortly after it. After our wedding, they had to spend more time together and I suspect they've even done something sexual. From that point, it went downhill. They still hang out, they are friends, but it's just not the same. They have to sort this out on their own, I don't want to be the judge and neither does Sam. She has a lot on her plate right now with that cheerleading situation.

John called me in the afternoon and told me to come over with Sam to the clubhouse, saying it's a serious manner. Our plans after school were clear.

 _In the clubhouse_

I haven't been there since our "retirement" and was quite surprised by how different it seemed to me. This is a place where I have spent nearly every day of the last 6 years and I had trouble recognizing it already. John was standing by the hologram table.

"Hi guys, glad you made it." He giggled. He was wearing his blue monster buster suit, similar to the one I used to wear. He pretty much took my place - he's a tech expert and gadgeteer, an inventor. Needless to say, his invents are better, than they used to be.

"Hi John, what's the matter?" I said a bit concerned.

"I've heard that Sam is the new cheer captain."

"And that's it? All you wanted was to talk about this?" Sam was upset. "This is not a serious matter John. I'll tell you what is - cheer try-outs are held tomorrow and I know nothing about this...eh.. sport. I don't even want to do this!"

"I don't want to have a cheer conversation with you Sam. Zubin does. Somehow, he's worried about your new after-school activity."

"Let's call him then," I suggested.

After several minutes of waiting, Zubin finally answered the call. The hologram of him appeared. I and Sam sat on a couch together, we could already tell that this is going to be time-consuming. As far as I knew, this never happened in the past. The galactic commander has never reached to the former team members before.

"Hello, former monster busters. John, if someone from your fellow teammates is near, I'd like to talk to them as well."

"I think that Alexa is in the basement. Alexa? Could you come upstairs please?"

A girl with dyed red hair came. At the moment she saw us, her jaw dropped. "Oh my gosh, aren't you the former team members?"

"You act like we are some sort of celebrities," said Sam. Clearly, she wasn't in the mood of making new friends.

"That's my brother." Said John proudly. Alexa. glanced at John, then at me, then back at John and then she smiled. "You don't look alike."

"I would like to continue if you let me. This is a serious, life-threatening situation we are talking about." When Zubin saw how focused and quiet we suddenly were, he carried on. "I won't hide around the bush. 20 years ago, a retired member of the club died unexpectedly. Almost 10 years ago, another retired member of the club, that was incumbent in the time of the first death, died under strange circumstances. It will have been 10 years in two months. But we can't be so sure about that."

We exchanged a confused look.

"We found it really strange. 2 unexpected deaths in 20 years. After some investigating, we found out that it wasn't just a coincidence. It seems like a certain type of alien energy is killing former team members every 10 years. Both of the victims were females. The first one died in 1998 and the second one in 2008. Now it's 2018."

"Wait... let me get this straight," started Sam eagerly, "you are basically saying that I, or Cathy, could get killed by an alien in the next, let's say, 3 months or so?"

"That's exactly what I wanted you to be aware of. Here comes the cheerleading problem. As a captain, you are going to spend time without your friends and husband. That makes you easy prey."

"We'll do anything to prevent it. I can get on the team. As a current member, I can help." suggested Alexa.

"That's a good idea, but will one person be enough?"

"Do you want to try out as well?" Alexa asked John with a laugh.

"No, but Cathy, Danny and Chris definitely should." With that, he gave me a look.

I turned to face Sam. "I would do anything to save you. But you know how bad I am at sports."

"Weren't that you, who said earlier, that the decision of choosing people on my team is up to me to make?" She had a point there.

"Okay... Cathy wanted to try cheer anyway, but how are we going to convince Danny to join the team? His reputation means everything to him."

"That's easy. I'll let Wendy join the team as well."

Zubin let out a sigh of relief. "That's what I wanted to hear. If a whole former team and one current team member was on the team as well, that should be enough. But you should try to find the ones who lost their teammate, to know what, when and how it happened exactly. What happened before and what after."

"Could you at least give us names?" asked John.

The commander frowned. "I don't know any names. The former commander has died and as you know, MBC is a top-secret organization. We don't have the names written anywhere. Either way, I wish you good luck. Stay strong and work together." After that, he hung up. We remained silent for a while. I was holding Sam's hand while trying to figure it out.

Sam suddenly stood up, told Alexa when and where the cheer tryouts are going to take place and went outside. I was right behind her.

"Maybe we should ask Mr. Smith if he doesn't know them?" I suggested. She turned around and said: "That's where I am going right now."

When we arrived at Smith's, Cathy was doing green smoothies with her grandpa. They were clearly happy to see us, but after a while, they could sense that something was bothering us. We told them the news. Cathy hugged Sam and started crying.

"We are going to die." - "Don't worry Cathy, Chris and Danny will protect us." - "I told you already - we are going to die." She whispered.

"You started monster busting in 2011. But that was after a 15-year gap. No one was doing that job for 15 years, till I and Cathy formed the new team. However, I know one alien guy who was doing it in the '90s. He still lives in Singletown."

"Do you by any chance know his name?" I asked hopefully.

"I am afraid not. But I recall that he was quite strange. He was obsessed with lawns because they didn't have them on his planet. He loved how grass smells like. He always said that one day, he wants to live near the park."

"Maybe he does. There's a weird shack in the park." I said.

"So, we'll go and pay him a visit?" Sam suggested. Us four exchanged looks and we knew, that this is the only option we have right now.

 _By the weird shack_

We knocked on the door with hesitation. We waited for a while, but nothing happened. When we wanted to turn around and go away, someone has opened the window. It was a man that was in his forties.

"Can I help you?" He asked unwillingly.

"Hi, mister." Cathy greeted him and stretched her arm to shake his hand. The guy was surprised.

"You are an alien!" He shouted.

"I am, but you are too," Cathy shouted back.

"How can you be so sure?" Asked Sam.

"Dear Sam, when an alien sees another alien, we don't have to ask, we just feel the energy."

"What do you want? Why did you come?" He seemed mad.

"Can we come in? It's serious." I said. He nodded, went downstairs and let us in. I decided that it's gonna be me who will ask questions because the girls were clearly shocked by the horrible news.

"So, what's the matter? I am Noel by the way."

"You used to be a monster buster, weren't you?"

"I used to be. We retired many years ago."

"One person from your team has died 10 years ago, right?" His expression changed drastically.

"I don't want to talk about it. People are dying all the time but this was something that nearly killed me as well." It was clear that he was trying not to cry. "I... I even forgot her name. My power is to forget the things I want to forget. So I chose to forget it. And though I want to remember her forever, hearing her name was too painful. A certain type of flower or plant reminded me of her."

Names as Rose, Lily, and Daisy came on my mind instantly. "We understand. Can you at least tell us the other names, Noel?"

"Tom has moved to Australia after her death. And the second girl... I am not so sure. But I am certain she works for the police. We used to call her Glitch Girl. She was very good with electronic devices. Perhaps she works as a hacker? She was really close to the deceased girl. They were best friends."

"I have heard of Glitch Girl. I had to crack some of her passwords and decipher her work when I started doing monster busting. If we find her, I'll probably ask for her signature, because she was a great tech expert." I recalled how much trouble some of her invents caused me. She was talented.

"How can you be not sure about what her name is?" Sam was confused by that.

"She didn't want to ever see me again, because I reminded her of the great times we used to have when all of us were alive and happy." That answer was sad, but it made sense. A scary thought came on my mind - What if Sam or Cathy dies? What am I going to do then? What about Danny? I am pretty confident he loves Cathy and cares about Sam a lot. Would he move to Australia as well? Would I live in the weird shack all alone?

On top of it, Noel stated: "I don't know why she would talk to you about the most painful loss of her life. She doesn't want to talk to me and we were as close as you are." That made sense as well. Why would she talk to strangers about losing her best friend when she doesn't talk to someone with who she had spent several years of life. I would never stop talking to my teammates... or would I?

We left his house while still being quiet. I bet we were all thinking about what would happen if... we lost our girls. I just wanted to go home.

 _At Sam's place_

Sam's house was nearly as sad as the situation she was in. She doesn't have any siblings. Her mom had died in a car accident. Her despotic father left a year ago. Maybe he is the reason why she is so tough and bitter. The house was half empty. Sam was trying to keep it clean and tidy, as we were living here. Sometimes we went to my place, which is next to her's. Maybe the fact that we were neighbors and my mom treated Sam as her own child is why we are so close. _I can't imagine my life without her, that's for sure._

Sam was trying to teach me round-off the whole night. She didn't give up so easily. I could do a solid handstand, which was weird to me since I am not an athlete and I have never worked out. It seemed that 6 years of hunting aliens do wonders to your body.

I was so relieved when I finally managed to do it.

 _At the same time, I was worried. I don't care about the reputation, about the hours of training after school or about the stress from the competitions. The only thing I truly care about is the girls' safety. I love Sam more than everything. I am not sure if she is aware of that though. This whole situation makes me more and more insecure. What if I fail? And what will happen then?_

 **So, what do you think will happen next? I'll be glad for F and F's, as always.**

 _ **Get Into The Groove**_


	5. 4: Secrets

**Hi everyone! I am so glad I was able to write another chapter. I have a very busy schedule, but it will hopefully get better. Thank you for reading my stories, even though the MBC fandom is quite dead.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own MBC nor the characters. Rated T for strong language and mature themes.**

The vibe of the chapter: Should've Been Me by Naughty Boy - _Well, this was that, it seems, 'cause you don't think of me that often. How could I let you leave me? Well, it's too late to stop you..._

 **Cathy's POV**

Growing up is not that exciting, as I used to think it is. When I arrived on Earth, I was 11. I was excited about everything and everyone. Sam told me about puberty and I recall wanting to have periods and acne as the normal human teenage girls do. I used to not care what people think about me, but 6 years later I am still considered a weirdo and I hate it. There are more and more things I have to manage and I am struggling. Being a teenager annoys me.

I thought that having a relationship with Danny is the only thing that makes sense and now it's the main reason why I am so sad and lost. There's no one I can speak to on this matter. Sam seems to be as confused as I am when it comes to love. I would say she lacks the ability to love. I envy her. Chris is the rational one - he sees science in everything, but there are things that cannot be explained and love is certainly one of them. I don't feel like having a conversation with him, even though I know he could give good advice.

Danny is the source of my problems. He is the reason, he is the end and the beginning. He is the answer. I feel so hurt and at the same time, I want to forgive him for everything he did, for everything he is and for everything he will do, because he is not going to change. I can't change him. I won't change. And I am not sure if I can forgive him.

What we had was special. But I had to let him go.

 _After the cheer try-outs, by the lockers_

"Can you please tell me what on earth made you think that I am the perfect cheerleader material?" Danny was furious at Sam. Sam was standing calmly while looking at him without a sense of fear. Strong and cold, as we know her. I was standing next to Chris, who was watching the whole scene in silence.

"Are you fucking insane? Don't you know, how are the boys doing cheer treated?" He was in a rage.

"Maybe if you got your head out of your ass for once, you would know why it's necessary to have you on the team!" Sam answered while still being calm.

"So this was all planned? Everyone knew this was going to happen the whole time except for me? Why am I always the last one to be told about the important things?"

"Because you are like this! This is all your fault, you never have a clue on what is going on, because you don't simply care. It's simple as that." Finally, Chris said something. Danny was clearly surprised, that he spoke his mind.

"Stop this crap, we are not the team anymore. I understand that the monster busting was the greatest time of your life, but it's time to move on."

"And that brings us to the problem. After Sam or Cathy gets killed, you can move on. Move to Australia as Tom and leave me here alone living with remorse! But we can still do something about it. We can't give up until it's over."

"What are you talking about?" Danny was confused as hell, looking at all three of us, then he turned back to Sam. "Would you mind explaining it to me?"

"Why me, I am as mad as Chris and Cathy."

"I know you are mad. But you are also very calm since your brain has a problem with managing emotions."

That was rich coming from him. I finally said something. "You are the one who needs to manage emotions."

He didn't even look at me. It was as it never even happened. He carried on. "Maybe if my mother died and my father left me, I would be the same." He was looking directly into Sam's eyes when he was saying that. I wondered if he knew, how inappropriate and cruel that sentence was. "You weren't always like this."

"You weren't always like this either. You used to care, when someone was in danger, you tried your best to help them. Maybe this is just your post-breakup phase. Say whatever you want but I know who you are and I know you have a heart of gold. I know that you are hot-headed and you shot before you ask, but you should know how it hurts." It was clear that Sam wanted to calm him down a little by saying that he is not that bad. _But sometimes he is._

"I am hurt too. You always left me out. And you know you are the only friends I have."

"Do you want to know the whole story?" Asked Chris. Danny nodded and we told him everything we have known so far, with the last lead being Glitch Girl, who probably has a connection to the police department.

"Would you mind if I went home? I have a lot to think about." I understand that the explaining took us a long time and he was obviously shaken by the fact that we could be dead. Still, I hoped that we'll have time to talk. Just two of us.

Chris stayed at school to do something on the school's computers. Sam went home. I wanted to stroll around the school hallways a little, as it became a favorite place to think of mine. First I went to my locker to pick up several things I needed. When I opened the door I realized I still have a photo of me and Danny as a couple in the locker. I don't know if someone can imagine how it feels to love someone who hurt you so much and what it feels like to talk to that person every day, even though you would prefer to not ever see them again. I tore the photo down like a plaster. I put it in the science book, which I hate and at all costs avoid to open.

I took my books and continued on walking. I wanted to go home already when I started being nauseous. I had an urge to puke. The first idea that came to my mind was that an alien wants to poison me. I ran to the restroom, kneeled by the toilet and threw up. When I was done I heard the sounds of throwing up next to me. I ain't gonna lie, it calmed me down a little because it led me to think that it's probably just a food poisoning from the school lunch. I wanted to talk to the person, who was sick, to find out if we have eaten the same food. I waited quietly by the sinks when the other door opened. Guess who it was. Wendy f*cking Walters. Dear lord.

"Hi, Wendy... did you by any chance had meatloaf for lunch?"

"What are you talking about?" Wendy clenched through her teeth.

"I think we have food poisoning."

"Finally something we have in common, huh? We should be best friends then." Could she even be more ironic and harsh? I was annoyed but keen on finding out, what is going on. If there is a problem with the food, you bet I want to know.

"I saw you going to the restroom after lunch. If you had a snack and you threw up again, I should probably take you to the doctor."

Suddenly, there was horror in her eyes. "Don't tell anyone. Especially not Sam, if she found out I am bulimic, she wouldn't let me compete."

This wasn't what I expected to hear. I knew what bulimia is. It's an eating disorder. You throw up after eating in order to not gain weight.

"But you are... beautiful. You don't have to do this to be popular." I didn't know what to tell her exactly, I just wanted to calm her down a little.

"You are clearly doing it as well, so stop preaching."

"I am not bulimic. I can't control when I throw up like you, but lately... I feel sick nearly every day."

Wendy let out a sigh. "And your period is missed?"

"Yes! I am so glad I am not on my period anymore, it was such a waste of time. I hate cramps."

"For how many months?"

"I don't know. Maybe three. Why do you ask?"

"You want to know why you are sick? You are pregnant." Wendy grinned.

I was in denial at first. "I am not pregnant, if I was pregnant, I would know it!"

Wendy smiled and said. "I guess we both have a secret that Sam doesn't have to know. But you know what? I won't tell her about your little bundle of joy if you won't tell her about my mental state."

"I think that your body is in a bad state as well. You don't look healthy." She was really skinny. I was worried she will faint during competitions and I'll have remorse for not telling Sam. Unfortunately, it could happen to me as well. The situation started getting to me.

"When I lose 10 pounds, you will probably gain 30." Said Wendy while applying her lip gloss.

"What are we going to do?" I was terrified.

"Nothing. You should maybe consider aborting it. You are still young. Tell Danny, he is the father, right?"

"Yes," I said it as quietly as I could. I saw the grin Wendy made, but I could also sense compassion. _Now that I know she is bulimic I don't think of her as an enemy. Not until she breaks our promise._

"I'll tell you something I've never told to anyone yet. I was pregnant last year. When I told the boy, he broke up with me. I made the decision and went to the abortion clinic alone. I was scared. So be glad it's Danny and not some jerk who would leave you in that situation alone."

Her story and the fact she shared it with me touched me. Still, I wasn't certain about Danny's reaction. "I am not so sure about it."

"Trust me in this. That bad boy persona is just his image. When he finds out, he will be more concerned than you are. You should let the doctor examine you though." I was surprised how calming her words were. I thought that being mean is the only thing she can do.

"You should go to the doctor as well, Wendy." She gave me the "I know" smile and left.

I wanted to talk to someone about my pregnancy. Wendy made it very clear, that I shouldn't tell Sam. I won't tell my grandpa either. I knew someone with a scientific point of view who is still in the building. I was a little concerned he will tell Sam though. I hoped he can keep a secret.

I knocked on the door of the IT lab. "Chris? Are you still there?"

"Is that you, Cathy? Come in."

I went in and saw him sitting by a school computer searching through some database.

"Why are you here? I bet you have a better computer at home than our high school does."

"Can you keep a secret?" Chris said after a while.

"I wanted to ask you the same thing. I can keep a secret, but can you?"

"I can keep a secret. If it's not a life-threating situation."

I sat next to him. "Maybe it is.. I am pregnant." His face turned pale.

"Wait, what? You slept with Danny and he... impregnated you? Why are you telling me? You should tell him, your grandpa and Sam, she knows about it more than I do."

"You just named the people I avoid talking to on this matter."

"Why did you chose me?"

"You are the only person who is close to me and isn't on that list."

"Makes sense. Plus you have nothing to lose with me." He sighed. It sounded bad, but he was right. Our friendship was never as strong as mine with Danny or Sam. "Are you going to keep the baby?"

"I don't know yet. Wendy told me to abort it."

"Wendy knows? She will tell everyone."

"She won't. I know a secret of hers as well. Anyway, what did you want to tell me? And what are you even doing here?"

"I am trying to find who is the Glitch Girl. And I wanted to do it somewhere else than home. I wanted to be alone."

"I understand. So you don't want to spend time with Sam? Why?"

"It sounds horrible as you said it. I think that being best friends and married is against all odds. It's just weird."

"I thought you love her. You always did."

"I do. But I feel like she doesn't love me. She is always doing everything else instead of being with me."

"I think she's just trying to be a perfect wife. It isn't easy for her. What was the last time you helped her with the house chores or took her out?" Chris looked at me and I continued. "Both sides have to sacrifice the same. Relationships work only if both sides put effort into it."

"I think that the best solution is to have an honest conversation with her. Tonight."

"That's right. And the best solution to my problem is going to the doctor. Could you please go with me there?"

"You know I would... But I think it's Danny who should go with you." He had a point there. I imagined how furious would Danny be if he found out I am pregnant with his baby, didn't tell him about it and went to the clinic with Chris.

"Fine. I will go to his place and tell him the news. But only if you will go home and try to work it out somehow with Sam."

We promised. There were serious conversations ahead of us. I wasn't sure whether it's me, who was more scared of what is Danny's reaction going to be, or if Chris was more scared of confrontation with his wife.

 **Normal POV**

 _At Lang's place_

Julie Lang was a mother of two sons. She got married young, so she knew how Sam feels. Sam has always been like a daughter to her, so having her as a daughter-in-law and living with her wasn't strange for her at all. What seemed strange to her was Sam's and Chris' relationship and why did they get married in the first place. They were never dating after all. Sam was in the kitchen at the moment, helping Julie with cleaning.

"Sam, can I ask you something? Why did you two get married? Not that I am not glad, or didn't expect it, but it was so fast. I didn't even know you were going out." Asked Julie while washing the dishes.

"You were expecting me to marry Chris?" Sam raised her eyebrows and smiled.

"Yes. You two are a perfect match. Well, almost. Growing up you were always together, always up to something."

Sam was trying to make up a lie, to answer her question. Sam certainly couldn't tell her the truth about the main reason for their wedding. "We got married because we wanted to have sex." Julie was shocked by how straight forward that answer was, but it made sense to her. She wasn't suspicious anymore.

"And? Was that a good life decision?"

"Are you asking me if the sex was worthy of marrying your son?" Said Sam with a laugh.

Julie laughed as well. "No, I just want to know if you are happy together. You two and John are those who mean to me the most."

"What about your husband?" Sam didn't get why Julie would left Mr. Lang out of her list.

"He is always supportive, that's what I love about him the most. He makes me laugh and he is incredibly kind. But... to be honest, he is the second love of my life. And I can't stop thinking about the first one. I love my husband in a different way than my first love. Decades later I am still broken-hearted."

Sam felt so sad for her. "I think it was destiny. Destiny is sometimes cruel, but you have Chris and John with Mr. Lang. And now you have a daughter."

Julie smiled and hugged Sam while whispering, "You have no idea how hard it is. You remind me so much of her." A lot of thoughts were going through Sam's head. Did Julie have a daughter who looked like Sam?

"Who are you talking about?"

"I didn't tell anyone about her."

Sam let go and asked curiously. "What happened?"

"She died."

"I am so sorry about the loss of your daughter."

"It was my girlfriend who had died." That came as a surprise for Sam. She wasn't judgemental. Love is love in her eyes. She just wasn't expecting Julie to tell her about it without hesitation. The vibe of the relationship with her husband suddenly made sense to her. She loves him in a different way because she simply isn't interested in men.

"I feel like I am hearing about death wherever I go. Chris is still at school, trying to find someone, who knows someone, who died."

"Why didn't you tell me? I could have helped if it is a missing person case." Julie was solving missing people cases as her part-time job.

"It isn't a missing person case. It is a murder case. We know someone, who could know more, but I don't know her name."

"And is there a clue?"

"Sort of. We know her nickname is Glitch Girl."

Julie was confused. It seemed like she has heard that name already. "Why are you trying to find some Glitch Girl?"

"She was the best friend of a woman who was murdered 10 years ago. They clearly made it look like an accident, but it was a murder. We have a suspicion it might happen again this year."

"What makes you think it was a murder?" Said Chris' mom with a lowered voice.

"You will think I've lost my mind..." Sam took a deep breath. Here came nothing. "Do you believe in aliens, Julie?"

Julie's hands were shaking. "Well...I think it's possible that something lives in outer space. And I also think it could be harmful at times." After a short pause, she carried on with a shaky voice. "So you are telling me that aliens murdered someone 10 years ago? Police won't believe you."

"I don't want to tell the police. I just want to know more about it to prevent another death." Sam looked at Julie, who was nervous and slightly shaken. "I have a strange feeling you know something."

"I knew one woman who died 10 years ago. But that couldn't be her. It doesn't make any sense." Even if it didn't make sense, Sam wanted to know what she knows. In this case, every trace and clue counts.

"It seems like we both know something, that is vital for the other one. We both know that the alien cases are continental and if we know something, we can't say it. But one thing is for sure: 20 and 10 years ago a murder occurred and Cathy Smith or I am going to be the next murder victim if we don't find out how to stop it and we don't find the answer fast." Julie sat down on a sofa and took a deep breath. The conversation was tough to handle.

"I am afraid that the answer is in front of you the whole time. We both know who died and who are you trying to find and we know that really well." Julie whispered while starring on the floor. "Trust me, you don't want to know the truth."

"I know someone who died years ago. But that's just a coincidence." Sam was trying to reassure herself. The more she thought about everything she just heard, the more nervous and in denial she was. Finally, she said something: "My mom was Heather. Heather's not a flower."

"A friend of mine, Noel, used to call her Heath. God knows why, but he had a soft spot for flowers and weeds."

Sam froze and starred at Julie in disbelief. Was this the right time to face the truth?

At that particular moment, Chris came home. He saw his mom crying and Sam, who was about to faint.

 **So, what do you think? What will happen next? Stay tuned. I'd be glad to read your opinions in reviews.**

 **Get Into The Groove**


	6. 5: Confessions

**Disclaimer: I don't own MBC nor the characters. Rated T for strong language and mature themes.**

The vibe of the chapter (lyrics-wise at least): Love Escape by Paul Oakenfold - _If I had the chance, I'd go back to the start. Hold love in my hands, not just in my heart..._

...

 **Normal POV**

 _At Chris' house_

"What happened?" asked Chris while he was seating Sam into an armchair and sitting next to her. "Were you talking about divorce?"

Sam frowned. "What? Why would we talk about that? You want to get divorced?" Chris soonly realized what he had said. _If he doesn't come up with a good reason for thinking of that, other than questioning their marriage, Sam would freak out immediately._

"No. Absolutely not. It's just that you are never so down and my mom cries, divorce was the first thing that came on my mind." He checked their reactions. Both of them were moved by something. And it was definitely not the problems surrounding their relationship.

Julie was still sobbing. Chris was waiting patiently for someone to explain the situation to him. He could sense it's something serious and tragic. Sam was trying to make up the whole story of what probably happened 10 years ago in her head. He knew how she looks like when she is making schemes in her head. Finally, she decided to say something.

"I know it's hard for you, but would you mind telling the whole story? From the beginning to the... end?" Asked Sam while trying to hold her tears so Chris wouldn't know she is crying.

Julie nodded. "I can't imagine losing another person. When Heather died, I was really struggling to carry onto everything." She made a short pause to dry her tears. "I will tell you the whole story, as it must be confusing to you." She looked around the kitchen and was aware that the presence of her son and his possible involvement is not a good sign.

Julie started. "I and Heather were best friends. We've met when we started going to middle school. She had a friend, Tom. He was a little weird, but fun to be with, so we let him be friends with us. We were hanging out in the park one evening. We were thirteen I think when we saw a shooting star, which lightened up the whole place. But no one else in the park noticed. Just the three of us did. Since Heather was the adventurous one, she grabbed my hand and wanted to explore the place where it had landed. Tom came with us. After some walking, we saw a big piece of metal laying on the ground. There was a person standing nearby. It was a boy who was in our age. We didn't know who he was, but we knew one thing for sure. He was someone special. Someone who seemed to be on Earth for the first time. That was our first alien encounter. We didn't know it at the time, but us four were the chosen ones. Till this day, I don't have a clue why us. It could be any other group of friends from our middle school. Maybe it was because of our diversity. Heather was agile and fearless, Tom was incredibly smart, I was good with technology and gadgets. And Noel was... an alien. We made a perfect team. That day was the beginning of the end."

Chris immediately knew what she was talking about. The same thing happened to him, Sam and Danny a few years ago. He couldn't believe that his mom used to be a monster buster. He couldn't believe it was his mom, whose invents and security system caused him so much trouble. He was eager to find who the Glitch Girl is, but he knew her his whole life, she raised him.

Julie continued. "We were saving our town almost every day. Years went by and I knew that something is off with me. Girls in our age started to switch their best friends for boyfriends. I didn't want to do that. I wanted my best friend to be my significant other. You need to understand, what is acceptable today, wasn't acceptable in the '90s. I thought it's just a phase and so did my parents. I expressed my feelings to Heather. To my surprise, she didn't argue with me, she didn't laugh nor screamed at me. In fact, she didn't say anything. She leaned closer and kissed me. From that moment on we were romantically involved. We hid it from everyone. Even Tom and Noel had no clue that we are... interested in each other sexually. Loving her was unrealistically great. We were eighteen when we stopped busting. That seemed to us ar the right time to plan our life together. We hoped that we could get married and have children together. We told our parents, but they weren't supportive at all. And because we couldn't actually be together, we came up with a plan that seemed perfect to us. We will find husbands, have children with them and live side to side. Live normal lives and be together behind the closed doors only. I was more lucky than Heather when searching for the right man. Eric went to the same high school as we did. We shared several classes together and I liked him. He was kind. Something told me that he is the right man for me. Eric Lang is my friend for life and he blessed me with two beautiful sons."

"Are you talking about my dad? You are living with him just to avoid suspicion about your sexuality?" Chris was shocked by the amount of information his mom just told him. It also meant she cheated on his dad with Sam's mom, who was cheating on Sam's dad.

"I truly love him for everything he did for me, but he isn't Heather. It's hard to understand and accept, I know. I don't regret marrying him. There is only one thing I regret and that's not helping Heather solve the problems she had with her husband. Honestly, if she had married Noel or Tom, it would be better for her. Out of all the men she met, she chose the worst one. Everything seemed okay at first. They got married. He was away a lot, which was good for us two. We got married and pregnant almost at the same time, so we could share every moment, every experience together. We even convinced our spouses to buy houses next to each other. Heather was wondering why is not her husband present and the explanation was simple: They just couldn't stand each other. He preferred being in the bar and staying at his old place alone. She once said that being with him is bearable. Just bearable. The only thing that kept her hanging on was our relationship. She was always on my mind. I loved our conversations. Sometimes we were finishing each other's sentences."

"And you managed to keep your relationship secret for so many years? My mom was 30 when she died, that means you were together for almost 15 years." Sam remembered her mom and Chris's mom spending time together, but even now, after knowing the truth, she wouldn't say it was something more than just a friendship.

"When you have someone special to live your life with, 15 years go fast. I was hoping for more though." Julie made a pause and was about to cry again. "The most precious thing we have is time and they've stolen it from us. I remember, there were signs that something bad is going to happen."

"We need to know more. As I told you earlier, as a former club member, which my mom was as well, I am in danger. But it could also be Chris or Danny or Cathy. If we knew what to keep our eyes on or what should we be aware of, it would be a huge help and a lifesaver indeed."

"Everything went suddenly wrong. Now that I know aliens have to do something with it, it all makes sense now. I thought that we have just changed. Everything was falling apart. Our relationship with Heather hit the rocky road, Noel was unbearably mean to everyone and Tom was slowly drifting apart from us. Maybe it wasn't just a coincidence. They were getting in our heads with an attempt to take control of our lives. We were tricked without knowing it."

"So you are telling us that our feelings and actions are controlled by someone else?"

"Of course. Haven't you worked on a case before that involved some sort of manipulation or control over your actions? I bet you did. It will try to get into your head and make you either go insane, drift apart from the rest, or kill yourself accidentally. Maybe that's why Heather crashed. Police said she was drunk, but I know it's bullshit. It was weird, but I would have never thought that it was aliens who killed her."

"Let me get this straight: All of you had some sort of problems or detected a strange behavior? If that's the case, all of us is in danger and the one who dies is the one who will be the first to fall into pieces? And we probably won't know what is real and what is not." Sam thought out loud.

"Good thing is that we know what to expect. It will be hard to tolerate cruel remarks or arguments, but we can't let them win. We have to be strong together." This Chris' statement made Sam feel a bit better. She was _so sure_ he wouldn't let her down under no circumstances.

"I wish I knew what was going on. The last thing I told Heather was that I hate her for ruining my life." Julie closed her eyes. "I couldn't stand it anymore, everyone was getting on my nerves. She was full of hatred and anger. Even talking to her was unbearable, I just wanted her to finally shut up." Chris' mom took a deep breath and finished her sentence with a chilling ending - "And she did."

"Oh lord." gasped Chris in disbelief. This sent chills down his spine. He already knew about one thing that might trigger drama between the four. Knowing about Cathy's pregnancy made him feel terrible. He just hoped Cathy will tell Danny tonight. He hoped for the best outcome. He could feel the secret eating him from the inside out. He had a lot of crazy schemes in his head on what might happen if he comes clean, and what will happen if he chooses to remain silent about it. He decided to remain silent for a bit longer.

The other thing he started considering in his head was his relationship with Sam. Lately, it's been weird. He knew he loves her. He hoped she loves him back. Still, there was something off. Could that be because of alien influences on his emotions? Sam has a lot on her plate now. Maybe that's why she is so straight-forward and relational. Chris hated this bitter side of her. He also knew the more troubled she was, the harsher she was. The stream of his inner thoughts had been interrupted by his mom again.

"If I got it right, you two, Danny and Cathy were the monster busters? I am so glad your duty is over. If I knew in what danger you were, I wouldn't be able to sleep calmly at night." Said Julie casually.

Chris exchanged a look with his wife. Should they tell Julie that her other son is in that danger currently? Sam decided to tell her.

"Julie... I wouldn't have told you, after what you just confessed and what you got to know, but I am fed up with hiding everything. I don't want to have secrets, I hate secrets. I have never had a secret in front of Chris, and he never hid anything from me, and I want to be genuine to you as well." Chris was biting his lip nervously as she was saying that. He didn't want to hide anything from her but also knew, he shouldn't tell her now. "John is a monster buster now."

Chris' mom gasped, nodded and thanked Sam for telling her. She knew that her daughter-in-law is brutally honest and doesn't hide around the bush. She was actually quite relieved. At least she knows, what is her son up to. It made her feel terrified, on the other hand, she knew, there is nothing she can do about it. She was about to go to her room, to ask her husband about his day. She stood up and sensed the tension between Sam and Chris.

"If it started already, don't let it affect your relationship. It didn't work out for me and Heather, so at least our kids have to be happy together. I truly believe you could be happy. You are both smart. I think you will be able to find some possibilities and solutions to this mess."

They both nodded silently without looking at each other. Sam asked her final question: "How long did it take?"

"We were having problems for a month. Then, you know what happened. And you are also aware of the aftermath."

They both knew, that Noel is living alone and chose to forget about his friends. Tom had moved far away while Julie tried to live her life without her soulmate and took Heather's daughter Sam under her wings and provided a family environment to her. It is safe to say it had changed their lives forever.

Sam and Chris were still sitting silently side by side. They both knew what is at stake. They also knew it was worth fighting for and the first step was to get the whole former team to the cheerleading team.

They were relieved it's Friday. They had a free weekend ahead of them with an exception of showing up at the basketball match taking place at their school on Sunday evening. As cheerleaders, they will be cheering their school's team for the first time. Chris was nervous about it. Sam was looking forward to it. She taught several people new tricks and couldn't wait to show they are capable of winning a competition if they want to. The only thing that bothered her was the timing. The state competition and also the possible end of her life were both just a month away...

Chris and Sam are used to spending the weekends together at Sam's house. They both grabbed several things, jumped over the fence and went inside. Everything was clean and tidy as always. They went into Sam's room instantly, sat on her bed while remaining silent. They needed time to think. A few minutes passed by when Chris finally spoke up: "Are you alright?"

Sam looked at him and answered with a question: "And you are alright?"

They both lied down on the bed next to each other, being a little tense and shaken by everything.

"Well, there are several things that I worry about. For instance, we probably won't know, who will be the target, right? How can we prevent them from being hurt then?"

"That's a good question. Do you think they will go for just one of us, while the rest will crumble and panic, or will they tease all of us and wait for the one who will be a nervous wreck first and thus prone to hurt themselves?"

Chris made out a sigh. "Both is possible. But the bad thing is that we won't know which one of them is happening. It's going to be a nerve-wracking experience. That reminds me of Catch 22 - Either way, we will lose."

Sam wasn't as pessimistic as him and didn't want to give up a fight just yet. Maybe Cathy and Danny will provide a different point of view.

 _At Danny's house_

Cathy's feet were leading her to Danny's front door. After her conversation with Chris, she decided to tell Danny without thinking about it too much. Sam and Chris were known to be over-thinkers and she knew how many problems that caused them. It was a Friday evening, she knew his mom was at the community center and dad was on duty, probably just sitting in his car all night and patrolling the city. When Cathy finally arrived, she was suddenly a bit hesitant. Her heart was pounding faster and louder than it normally would. She took a deep breath and pressed the doorbell.

"Is it a pizza delivery? I am coming!" Danny said loudly as he was going down the stairs. When he opened the door, his expression changed drastically. "Cathy? Is something going on?" He asked carefully.

She nodded. "Can I come in? It's a serious matter."

Danny invited her in and instructed her to go to his room. Cathy sat on his bed and crossed her legs. Since she hadn't been home yet, she put her school stuff on the floor.

"Were you somewhere after school?" Danny asked her as he saw her school bag.

"I stayed there a little longer and then I went to a pharmacy and bought something."

Cathy stood up and asked if she could use the bathroom. Danny didn't know what to make out of this. His ex-girlfriend came to his house without saying anything. Maybe she just wanted to pee while walking home and his house was the closest. As the minutes went by, Danny gazed out of the window. It was already dark outside. Many thoughts were running inside his head. He didn't have a clue on what could that serious matter be.

Meanwhile, Cathy was waiting for the results of the pregnancy test. She wanted to be one hundred percent sure before she tells him the news she is eating for two. Or possibly more, if we consider her appetite. She starred at that little piece of plastic in front of her knowing it is going to change her life. Two stripes appeared. Two stripes confirmed what Wendy told her earlier. She is pregnant. Everything around her stopped. It was just her and the test results. Her, Danny and their child. Their future.

Cathy was determined to tell the truth. She went to the window he was standing by.

"Can we talk? But please, promise you won't get mad at me."

Danny nodded while still looking out of the window.

"I won't hide around the bush, I wanted to tell you that..." Her sentence was cut short due to a phone call.

 **...**

"Isn't that... Sam? Where is she running?" Cathy recognized a known face in front of Danny's house. She was heading towards the forest. There was something off with her legs. One of her legs seemed wobbly to her. Cathy wondered if she got injured somehow.

"Sam! Stop!" Chris was running after her. When he realized he is by Danny's house - and he also knew Cathy is there as well, he stopped and screamed at them: "I need your help! Sam has completely lost her mind. She is bonkers!"

Cathy and Danny had exchanged a look and went down and out of the house. Cathy was sad she was interrupted, but Sam's safety was more important at the time. She asked what happened.

"I don't know. I told her that I want to talk to her." Chris had trouble catching his breath. He's not an athlete after all. "And you know what she did? She jumped out of the window and started running away!"

Their jaw dropped. "That is shockingly weird behavior for her. We have to go after her."

"Please go. I will catch up with you later. I'll call John to help us."

Cathy and Danny started running towards the forest. "I am glad you didn't jump out of the window as I wanted to tell you something."

"That will, unfortunately, have to wait. But don't be afraid, I wouldn't do anything that is considered as suicidal."

A few meters behind them Chris kneeled on the floor and called John via his smartwatch. John answered the call on his V-com.

"Chris! I just wanted to tell Alexa I like her!" John was mad at his older brother for interrupting his confession.

"Though I am proud of you, it will have to wait. If Alexa is near, grab her by the hand, use an MBV and get here as fast as possible. Sam is possessed by an alien or something! We need you."

"Holy Molly, give us one minute."

...

 **Thanks for reading! Please, write a review, if you like the story - or not, so I have feedback.**

 _Get Into The Groove_


	7. 6: Mind Games

**Disclaimer: I don't own MBC nor the characters.**

The vibe of the chapter: Dream State by Son Lux - _Though we were wide awake, this is a dream state. Will we survive in this, our new wilderness? We had to run from it..._

 _Friday night, in the clubhouse_

"Alexa? Can I talk to you, please?" mumbled John nervously. He knew that his teammate, Calum, was in the other corner of the clubhouse and could hear their conversation. The red-haired girl came to him.

She was a bit tough, always bruised or dirty from being out and doing sports frequently. Everyone thought she was "The Danny replacement". Always up to something, active, humorous. She was kinda tomboyish but also used to dye her hair bright red. Red suited her cheeky persona. Even though she was the complete opposite of John, there was something about her that drove him crazy. He was a shy boy like his older brother. The others sometimes found him a bit annoying, as he craved attention. Alexa, on the other hand, was interested in his new invents. She respected him. Those two started getting close while they were forming the new team, despite knowing each other just for a year.

"What's the matter? Do you want me to get you into the cheerleading team after all?" She said jokingly.

He giggled anxiously. "Definitely not, one Lang on the team is enough. I wanted to ask you if you would do something else for me." The pressure started to rise. He was about to ask her out! Finally, the time had come. He was almost certain she will say yes. They were used to spending free time together anyway, so why not spice the things up a little?

The girl just smiled. She nodded and waited for his question to be asked. John took a deep breath and... his V-com started to ring.

"I am sorry. That's Chris, I have to take it." John went aside to have more privacy. God knew what his brother was about to say. It could be something embarrassing like -Sam found your underwear in her drawer again- or something like that.

John answered the call. "Chris! I just wanted to tell Alexa I like her!" John was mad at his older brother for interrupting his confession.

Chris looked terrified and exhausted. "Though I am proud of you having the balls to tell her, it will have to wait. If Alexa is near, grab her by the hand, use an MBV and get here as fast as possible. Sam is possessed by an alien or something! We need you."

"Holy Molly, give us one minute." John didn't expect to hear such terrible news. Given the circumstances, hearing that his sister-in-law is possessed, made him feel scared for her life. He turned to face his love interest.

"Lexy, something had happened to Sam. I really hope she is not dying. We have to help her."

"Oh, God. I will drive us there. Calum, are you coming as well? Maybe you could finally try your telepathy abilities on a mission?"

The blonde boy, who was standing on the other side of the clubhouse stopped doing his homework immediately, stood up and was ready to go. "I am not sure if I can communicate with humans possessed by aliens. I guess I will find out tonight, right?"

Alexa smiled jitterily and jumped into the vehicle. John sat by her side, while Cal sat on the backseat. "The fourth ranger" Maxie, was studying for a test, so she didn't come. Technically it wasn't an alien emergency, so her presence wasn't needed.

 **...**

 _Elsewhere_

Sam was running deeper into the forest, clueless why. It was like something or someone had control over her actions. She arrived at a plain spot in the middle of the forest and was suddenly able to stop. She kneeled down on the grass to catch a breath. Her leg was aching terribly. Sam was obviously scared, normally she had control over every aspect of her life and was able to control her actions and feelings well. Maybe too well. What was going on? Could she be dying?

She took a look around. It was already dark and the forest was quite scary. Tree branches were moving because of the strong wind. Sam was wearing a white minidress and was cold. She took a deep breath with an intention to turn around and head home, as she heard a creepy sound from behind the tree. She naturally turned towards it. Sam saw a silhouette of something. It took her a little time to process what she was seeing but after a while, she knew it very well. It was a spider with long slender legs.

"Aaaaaaah! Help me! Oh God! Why me?" She screamed on top of her lungs while she was trying to close her eyes, unfortunately, she didn't manage. Poor Sam.

"Did you hear that? Wasn't that Sam?" Danny stopped running and tried to figure out from which direction he heard her screams.

"Aaaaaaaaah!" Echoed again through the forest.

"That was definitely Sam, we have to go there ASAP, till something kills her," Chris instructed and ran towards the place he heard her voice from with the new MBC team in his heels. They saw Cathy and Danny running there as well from a different direction. They all approached her at the same time and formed a circle around her. To their disbelief, the only thing they saw was Sam holding her head and screaming horrendously. There was nothing around her, nothing hurting her, nothing killing her.

"What is going on? How can we help her when there is nothing harming her?" Asked Danny.

"Didn't you say that she went bonkers or something? Maybe she is just hallucinating." John suggested to Chris.

"Well, she jumped out of the window, so I don't know what to think exactly. But we have to do something, that is for sure."

"That had to be a nasty fall, look at her ankle. Maybe she is just moaning in pain." Cathy pointed to Sam's leg.

"Can you find out what is going on in her head?" Danny turned to Calum hopefully.

"I am not Elton, I can't read minds, I can just insert thoughts to other's heads." Cal was clearly unsettled and moved by what was going on. "Why doesn't Chris approach her and try to comfort her, he's her husband after all."

Everyone's sight was on Chris after that statement. He smirked, took a deep breath and went closer to his wife. "Samii? What is going on? You don't have to be afraid," he said calmly while he was reaching for her hand. All of sudden, Sam punched him in the nose with all the strength she had. Chris fell on the ground, unable to say a thing. His nose started to bleed and the blood was dripping on his grey T-shirt. Everyone was stunned by this, Alexa's and John's jaws dropped, Cal took a step away and Cathy covered her mouth in disbelief.

Danny was watching Chris growling because of the pain. He knew exactly what it feels like because Sam punched him in the nose the day they met on the schoolyard when they were 8. It was quite a funny story, nevertheless, this wasn't the proper time to reminiscence over that. Sam crawled on already defeated Chris who was on the ground and carried on punching him. Danny intervened by trying to tuck Sam to the ground.

The rest was watching Chris rolling and Danny fighting with Sam - it was quite entertaining to spectate. Sam's and Danny's strength levels were probably the same. One thing's for sure - they were about to end up with a lot of bruises and scratches, Sam's dress will no longer be white and Chris' nose will be broken.

"Do something! Try to insert a thought of giving up into Sam's head!" Cathy raised voice on her cousin, who was covering his eyes in horror. She wanted to end this nonsense and to provide some medical help to the three "fighters".

Cal opened his eyes unwillingly and tried to concentrate on the _*Sam, stop it*_ thought. Nothing had changed. Danny and Sam were still struggling, Chris was trying to crawl away from them in the meantime.

"Try something else. Maybe she is sleepwalking, try to wake her up." Suggested John.

 _*Wake up Sam! Wake up, it's just a bad dream!* WAKE UP!_

 _ **...**_

 _In the bedroom_

 _*Wake up Sam! Wake up, it's just a bad dream!* WAKE UP!_

"Aaaaah!" Sam screamed for the last time and finally woke up from her bad dream. She tried to stand up yet failed and just sat instead. She took a look around and this time, to her relief, was in her bedroom with no spiders around. Danny and Chris were both sitting by her side on the bed. Alexa and John were standing by the door, Cathy was sitting on a chair and was clearly worried. Cal was standing by the bed and gazing into Sam's eyes.

"It worked. A-Are you okay? Are you awake?" He asked her.

"I think so.," she was curious about something. "How did you manage to get me here? The last thing I can remember was that fight in the forest."

Everyone exchanged a look. "What are you talking about? You were in your bed the whole time. You fell asleep then started moving while sleeping and screaming, so I called the rest to help me wake you up. I didn't want to underestimate anything." Chris explained to her.

Sam was in denial. "No. I jumped out of the window, messed my ankle, ran to a forest, then a spider attacked me, you came, we had a fight and then I woke up."

"That was just a wild dream. Luckily. Imagine how would your ankle look like if you had jumped out of the window." Said Danny casually. Then he checked Sam's ankles to prove his point and realized that there is, in fact, something wrong with her ankle. "Crap. It's swollen."

"That does look sprained indeed. Don't worry though, you will still be able to cheer - if you walk it out and numb the pain." John examined the situation. He was taking additional Biology classes as he was fascinated by anatomy and in contrast to his older brother's dream carrier path (computer engineer), he wanted to become a doctor one day.

Cathy stood up slowly. "Who had a fight exactly?"

"Danny was struggling to tuck me to the ground, we basically rolled on the grass and tried to take control of each other." As Sam finished her sentence, she examined her body to know, what else had happened to her, physically. At that time, everyone got chills sent down their spine. Danny and Sam had grass stains on their clothes and the struggle they "had" was visible - both of them had bruises and scratches. They looked bet up overall.

Danny turned to face Sam. "But why?"

Sam was terrified to say it out loud nor face Chris. _If her theory's right, Chris has a broken nose and it's her fault._

"I...I am so sorry...I didn't want to, I don't know why I did it. I think I broke Chris' nose in that dream." She whispered.

Everyone's sight was suddenly on Chris's nose. The blood started dripping on his grey shirt. As the pain was kicking in, he was struggling to breathe through his nose.

Calum sent Cathy a thought: _*Do you think it was an impactful nightmare? If yes, you are all doomed.*_

Cathy just said "Oh no." out loud.

"What is wrong with my nose? How did this happen?" Muffled Chris.

"Cal thinks that Sam just experienced an impactful nightmare. The term is pretty self-explanatory, but if you want me to explain, I will."

Alexa was confused and terrified. "If I am getting this right, you are basically saying whatever happens in her dream will have physical consequences in real life?"

Cathy nodded sadly. "If we don't find a way to either stop it or fight against it, this could be the end of the road... The consequences could be fatal. Consider the fact aliens want to kill one of us and this is an easy way to do it, they can kill us without being near us. If they already have access to our minds, I am afraid we won't last long."

"What are we going to do then?" Asked Danny the rest, as he was trying to come up with a plan himself.

"I don't think Sam is capable of killing someone in her dream. I mean, there is a long way from causing a sprained ankle and breaking a nose to a murder. The aliens obviously chose one of you who has the strongest will. The more terrified and stressed she will be, the worse the consequences will be." Said the blonde boy.

"Is there anything I can do to prevent it?" Asked Sam hopefully while she was massaging her ankle.

"Yes... Don't sleep." Delivered Calum baldly.

"The human body can go 10 days without sleeping, but that's the record. I am afraid there is no way Sam could go without sleeping for more than 2 nights though." Said Chris to remind others that this plan won't work.

Cathy had a plan for this night in particular at least. "Cal and I will go home and try to find out more about impactive nightmares from our grandpa. Danny, Chris, don't let Sam fall asleep tonight. Can I count on you?"

Boys exchanged a look and nodded with hesitation. They were still processing, what had just happened. Chris was holding his nose thinking about ways to ease the pain. Danny was thinking about ways of distracting Sam and preventing her from falling asleep and thus possibly hurting someone.

John and Alexa muttered that there is nothing they can do at this point and went home. Cathy and Cal left as well, leaving the three childhood friends alone.

The Smith's were walking home silently. Cathy couldn't stop thinking about her pregnancy and that she (and her baby) could be possibly dead over the course of a month. Cal sensed she's not feeling herself and asked her how he could help.

Cathy stopped. "You know what? I will tell you the whole truth. I want to tell grandpa tonight as well and hopefully, you will be my moral support. It's not just that I am afraid of dying. I am pregnant with Danny and nobody knows. Apart from Chris."

Cal was shocked but wanted to be as compassionate as possible, as this was a very hard time for Cathy. "Why did you tell Chris instead of telling Danny, who is the father and Sam, who is a human female and possibly knows more about pregnancies than a boy does?"

"I tried to tell Danny tonight, but we were interrupted by the call from Chris. Sam mustn't know about it. Not now at least. Can you imagine what would her reaction be like? I am not in the mood for her -I know it all- attitude." Cathy took a deep breath. "Either way, I want to tell grandpa. Before I die. I don't want to leave this world without him knowing it. He is the only person who has been always nothing but supportive of me. And I want to be nothing but honest with him in return. I also seek support and acceptance at this unfortunate time. So, are you with me?"

Cal didn't have to say the answer. He just sent _*You can count on me, I will support you no matter what*_ to Cathy's head. She smiled as a sign of her gratitude. They continued on walking, preparing themselves for an uneasy conversation ahead of them.

 _Back in the bedroom_

Sam was trying to walk with her injury. She was told that not moving is the worst thing she could possibly do, so she wandered around her room through the sharp pain. Danny was telling broken-nose-related advice to Chris, as he knew what to do about it.

"Do you remember the day we met? Sam broke my nose, so I can imagine the pain and struggle to breathe you are experiencing now."

Sam smiled because of that reference. Of course, she remembered that day well.

"Yes, but when Sam broke your nose, she was 8, not 18. Try to consider that factor as well. She is way more strong now." Chris tried to clarify the situation.

"Technically, she didn't do anything. This is just a thought of it, which is quite scary. I am glad I have just a few bruises."

"And grass stains. I should probably throw our clothes into a washing machine so they won't stay there forever. Take off your T-shirts." Sam instructed, she knew that the grass (and also blood) stains should be washed while they are still fresh.

The boys took off their T-shirts without making a fuss about it and handed them to Sam. "Your knees are dirty from rolling on the ground."

"Are you gonna wash our jeans as well?" Said Danny with slight naughtiness in his voice.

"If you want to ever wear them again, I should. Otherwise, it won't be possible to remove the stains." Sam defended herself.

They didn't think twice, took their jeans off and Sam grabbed them. She went to a bathroom and threw the clothes in the washing machine. She added her not-so-white-anymore dress too.

She returned to her room wearing underwear only. Chris and Danny stared at her. All three of them were just in underwear, during the night, in one room. And they knew that sleeping isn't in order. It was a bit awkward for them at first. They all had this thought: "We are just good childhood friends and underwear it still acceptable, nothing sexual is going on."

Sam sat on the bed, between the boys. They remained silent for a good minute. Danny then suggested going to shower.

"Like together?" Asked Chris with a giggle.

"That was not my intent at first, but whatever floats your boat. We have to keep Sam awake after all." Sam raised her eyebrows. She wasn't certain if they were serious or joking.

Chris caught hir rift fast and went with it. "That could work. After all, two is a company, three is a ménage!"

"Sharing is caring. And you love and care about her, right?" Danny kept on provoking.

Chris didn't back up. "I am sure she needs a distraction. Plus it will make her forget about her achy ankle."

"Chris, if I had to disappoint two people at once, I'd have dinner with my parents." Danny cracked a joke.

Chris answered with a joke as well. "What do you call a threesome in heaven? A triangel."

It was like a spicy game of tennis as the opponents were passing the ball from one side to another, which caused a (sexual) tension. Sam was just a fairly confused and astonished spectator unsure if she should join them or not.

Was this another dream? Was this just a joke? Was this a mind game they were playing with her to control her? Who was in charge? She was surprised because the suggestions and jokes didn't anger her, as she would've expected. It made her feel... lustful and anticipating. Apparently, she didn't know any threesome related jokes, so she went straight to the point.

"If you both want me, why don't we just fuck each other?" She said quietly.

That statement caught them off their guard. They didn't expect her to say such a thing, but they kinda liked the idea.

"You are playing a game, if you want to score, you have to work for it. But if you want to back up, you still can. The choice is up to you." Whispered Sam seductively.

Danny smirked. "I know what you are doing. You are heckling us! Do you really think we would trap you _in between_ us?"

Sam gazed into Danny's and then her husband's eyes, one by one. "Would you?"

Silence filled the room. Danny wasn't sure if he should play it safe or tell the truth. Chris' nose started to bleed again. He knew that what are they up to wasn't right. On the other hand, some things are so wrong but feel so right.

 **.**

 **Author's note: I feel like I need to clarify several things to you:**

1: This is a T-rated story and thus I can't provide an explicit and detailed narration. However, if you'd be interested in reading about that night in detail, I probably could write it as either a one-shot or a chapter divided lemon. Let me know in the reviews or private messages if you want me to do that.

2: Maybe you are thinking: What the hell is happening in the story? It's probably hard to distinguish what happened and what was just a dream, so I decided to sum it up for you: John wanted to ask Alexa out, but they were interrupted by Chris' call. Cathy wanted to tell Danny she is pregnant, but they were interrupted by a call as well (a phone call was mentioned in the last chapter). Long story short, no one knows anything and the secrets are still secrets. Chris and Sam were in the bedroom the whole time (do you remember the last chapter, as they were laying on the bed next to each other? That's when Sam fell asleep.) Sam's inner vision is divided by **...** in the story.

3: The characters are acting strange, out of their typical character. That's part of the story - you didn't think that Sam will be the only one from the Famous Four who will be struggling with her emotions and actions, did you?

4: I know that this is a romance story and one of the main two pairings is obviously Cathy x Danny. At this point, it doesn't look ideal for them, but one of the main topics of the story is finding a way back to each other. As in real life, we have our ups and downs, but in the end, everything is as it's meant to be and it all works out somehow. So please, don't be afraid that I don't ship them anymore and carry on reading.

 **Thanks for your support. If you enjoy the story (or not) feel free to write a review.**

 _Get Into The Groove_


	8. 7: Side Effects

**Disclaimer: I don't own MBC nor the characters. Rated T for strong language and mature themes.**

 **Not a long time passed by since my last update! I will try to write as much as I can to post chapters at least every month. I am studying English for translation and interpreting (English is my L2), which is quite a demanding and time-consuming major to study. Keep your fingers crossed for me, please! I really want to finish this story. I also wanted to give a shout out to Dixxy, who reviews every chapter - and I hope this chapter will be OK tense-wise for you. :D**

The vibe of the chapter: Side Effects by The Chainsmokers (what I was inspired by while writing and titling this chapter) - _If late-night friends have consequences..._

 **Normal POV**

 _Friday evening, in Sam's bedroom_

"Why are you suddenly so silent?" Asked Sam cautiously. She was afraid of what were the boys thinking about her statement. Five minutes ago they were carelessly joking about threesomes and when she finally spoke up, they were stunned. Needless to say that she wasn't used to Chris joking about such a thing.

The three had a deep connection and were great friends for several years now. They had been through almost everything together. Except for this. There was no denying though - the three had great chemistry. Perhaps they were attracted to each other by the reason of being the opposites. Chris was used to helping Danny out with his homework, Danny was used to standing up for him when someone tried to bully his best blue-haired friend. Sam just wanted to be there for them: to help Danny to control his temper and help him find solutions to his problems. She also wanted to show Chris he's capable of anything and he should be more confident and less cautious. She loved them and cared for them unconditionally. Sam loved Chris the way spouses and lovers love each other, while she loved Danny the way best friends do. Though she tended to be tough and bossy, she also had a softer side after all. Chris knew that very well, while Danny was close to finding out and understanding.

The scarred boy looked deeply into her gold eyes which indicated how nervous and anticipating she was. He gulped and said: "This is not a joke anymore. I want to treat you with nothing but respect. If we're going to do it, I wanna do it right."

The spouses were moved by Danny's sudden gentleness. Sam was used to Chris being romantic and attentive, she would have never thought of Danny as a tender lover.

Sam smiled sweetly and closed her eyes, making boys admire her long lashes only. "Sometimes I miss the times when it was just the three of us. I treasured every moment we shared, every plan we had, appreciated every sorrow we went through... Do you remember when we wanted to dance together at an elementary school dance? The teacher told us to form pairs, but I didn't want to let go of you two. And I am sure that neither of you wanted to let go of me. So we formed a three-air."

Suddenly, she felt two pairs of hands on her hips as she stopped reminiscing. Sam found herself sandwiched between the two most important men of her life, who were both attractive on top. Normally she wouldn't behave this way nor be so eager to be trapped between them. It was as if the urge to love and be loved twice as much became a side effect of being scared and frustrated.

"We can dance together again," said Chris tenderly. He was having trouble breathing through his nose yet didn't let it affect his mood. What came as a surprise to him was the fact he wasn't sure how to feel about this. He was always collected and down to earth, those are the traits he was known for, this night though, something felt a bit off. Why wasn't he jealous? Why wasn't he offended? Why didn't having Danny in the picture bother him? Had his feelings towards Sam changed?

"There is no music playing," said his wife quietly while having her eyes shut still. Her eyes were so beautiful the boys missed gazing into them. Luckily, other of her features were to admire; her long wavy shiny hair, plump lips, and an hourglass figure.

"We don't need anything as long as we have each other," whispered Danny to her ear while standing behind her. Their faces were so close they could hear their breathing and heartbeats. "Sorry if that was too cheesy. Normally I am not this attached and romantic. I don't know why I feel this way." The jock stuttered. "Could I be falling for you?" Danny wondered if that could be a side effect of being scared of losing his best female friend, his role model, his conscience.

No one had answered his question nor gave him a piece of mind. The 'three-air" was moving slowly despite no music was playing. Cuddling and swaying at the same time. Chris and Danny were hugging their leader as if she was the most precious girl in the world. That night, she certainly felt that way. One of her lovers had a hard grip while the other one was softer. She could make out whose hand was on her by the touch. The brunette was lost in the sensations and felt aroused being the center of attraction for the two guys she cared about so much. Sam felt loved and longed to be kissed by them. To her it was an unknown sensation - she felt as if she was on drugs. The pain went away and so did her self-control. All her walls fell down. The girl knew she was trapped and enjoyed every minute of it. It was hard to distinguish whether it was all just a dream or hallucination, it didn't feel real to her.

"What if this is our last dance? Maybe that's the reason why I am full of emotions. My life is coming to an end thus I was given this last dance, last night with you."

"I promise that I won't let it happen to neither of us. I am sure we will come up with a plan and everything will be alright." Said Danny to comfort his brunette friend. He had never seen Sam as an object of sexual desire before, though he had always found her sexy and pretty. That night his perspective had changed. He didn't want to sleep with her just for the sake of sleeping with her, he had an urge to love her.

There was another man in the room who wanted to make love to her though, which he was aware of. "You are my wife and I had promised I will never let you down." The blue-haired teenager stated while hypnotizing her with his sapphire eyes.

She was certain she could handle two boys and show them what a woman can do. _(A/N: Thanks for a nice thought, Dixxy!)_

"If this is our last dance, let's make the most of it. Because it probably won't happen ever again." Sam said charmingly. "I am all yours."

 **(A/N: This is the moment when it would get a mature turn, so I am cutting it off here. Let your imagination work (wink). If you would enjoy reading about it in detail, I am planning to write it as a separate M-rated story. Would someone else apart from Dixxy be interested in reading it though? :D)**

 _In the morning_

The three "lovers" were sitting in a bathtub together. They were all tired as the result of not sleeping the whole night. Their legs (mostly Sam's) and arms were sore from "dancing" all night long. The teenagers opted for a cold bath to numb the stiffness of their limbs and to give themselves a temperature shock to prevent falling asleep.

The two boys took the sides of the tub while she took the spot in the center.

Sam was still confused by the dream she had yesterday and thus wanted to make sure she wasn't dreaming again. "Did we really manage to not fall asleep? It seems like I can't think rationally anymore, my dreams, fears, and hallucinations merge with reality." If that all was just a fantasy, she certainly had a dirty mind. If it was real, oh, sweet god! A blush started creeping up her cheeks. She felt really hot, luckily the water was cold enough to settle her temperature down.

"Take my word on this, we didn't sleep at all. I was used to all-nighters while studying for finals, but those nights I spent just sitting and studying. This was way more demanding. My whole body is aching." Her husband responded. He touched his nose and wondered if he should get it checked by a doctor, then came to a conclusion he definitely should. Chris was confused by his behavior. Perhaps aliens started to mess with his head too?

"Maybe you are an athlete, after all, you were quite active." Said Danny jokingly. "There's just one thing I don't get. Why do I feel like I love you? Don't get me wrong, I loved you as my close friends before, but last night I felt like we're soulmates who should live together happily ever after."

The long-haired brunette smiled at him. "We are soulmates. But it's not me nor Chris who you love, it's Cathy, don't forget about her."

As Chris heard Cathy's name, he felt disgusted by himself for letting that one-night romance happen. He was the only one who knew she was pregnant and this was a nasty move. "Oh god. We can't tell Cathy. Never, under no circumstances. She would KILL US."

"You are probably right, she seems to be already troubled by something. The night was strange though. I would have never thought you would be up for having a threesome." Stated Danny. He wondered whether he had stronger feelings for Cathy or Sam.

"Me neither. But as Sammy said, it won't happen again and we made the most of it. Right, Sam?" Chris tried to ease the situation by being above it all, deep down he didn't know what had gotten into him last night. He raised eyebrows and turned to his wife.

"You nearly destroyed me. I am not sure I'll ever be able to walk in a straight line again." She sniggered.

The scarred boy was trying to sum up the situation in his head. "I felt more loving than I normally am, Chris felt more careless than he normally does, how did you feel, Sammy?"

She remained silent for a while. "I felt double-stuffed." _(A/N: I hope this is still teen appropriate.)_

They all had burst into a laugh. "Sam! I would have never thought that you are such a bad girl!"

"You didn't know, but now you know what I had known for a year already." Chris grinned at him. _Why did I say it? Am I trying to compete with him, or to make him jealous?_

"All jokes aside, I think I love you, Sam." Muttered Danny. _Why do I feel this way? What sort of a wicked game this became._

"Honestly, I feel like I had lost my emotions and memories. I know that we are married, but I don't know why we got married in the first place." Confessed Chris.

Sam was devastated. Making her best friend fall in love with her and making her husband stop loving her was not her intent at all. _Am I the only one whose mindset remained the same? What is wrong with you guys? I bet the aliens are behind this mess._

"Take my word on this. You feel this way just because of those hostile aliens. They mess with your heads. We have to find a solution fast. If possible, without me losing my mind or killing someone in the process." She let out a sigh. The words Chris said a while ago were echoing in her mind.

"You mean that I love you just because they put me under a spell?" Questioned Danny doubtfully.

"As I more think about it, it is like your opinion about me switched between you two to make me more confused and sad. Chris, you would normally never stop loving me, and you, Danny, would never start loving me."

"What are we going to do then? Is there a way to switch it back?" Wondered Chris. "I feel like I should be loving you, you are beautiful and nice to me, but It feels like my memories of us just vanished and something keeps on blocking my mind. I can't recall a thing."

"The most important thing is to be aware of this. If possible, don't let it show in front of people. Don't let them know what is going on, it would cause chaos and get us into trouble. I will try to come up with something." Sam felt so sad for the way it was. At the same time, she knew she mustn't let it affect her. Julie told her staying down to Earth and calm was the best way she can do to protect herself. She first needed to save Chris from his numbness so he could help her save the others. _But who will save me? Why do I always have to be the strong one? I feel overwhelmed, alone, scared, tired, addled, and most importantly: not loved. Not loved by the right person to be exact._

The brunette had a lump in her throat after analyzing the situation. She couldn't stay in that room anymore. "We should get out. Our cheerleader practice starts in 2 hours." Sam didn't wait for them to react, she just climbed over the bathtub edge, made herself dry, and went to her room.

Boys watched her as she was leaving. Then they looked at each other. "Chris? You said that the girls are the ones in danger, but what if that could be anyone? I mean... The fact that two women had died in the past could be just a coincidence. It could as well be one of us."

"I feel like till Sam remains strong, we are fine. But if she falls into pieces, I can't imagine what will happen then. She has the ability to lead us and always comes up with the strategies."

"Don't forget about one thing though - she can't do it on her own. We have to stand by her and support her. On top of that, you have the biggest influence on her life and on the way she feels. If you feel like you don't know her, get to know her again! You wouldn't marry just anyone, dude!"

Chris knew everything Danny just said was true. _But how to make it right?_ _I wonder if there is a way to access the memories involving her. I wonder why would such a beautiful, popular and strong girl love a freckled geek I am who doesn't have any experience with girls (though I knew what to do with her last night, my body reacted to her's in the way I probably should react to her mentally) and chose him over the handsome jock._ "Danny? Why does my body remember her but my mind doesn't?"

"Your mind is affected, but you truly love her, you have physical proof. If you keep finding other proofs, your love for her will grow and eventually come back. But shouldn't it be you, who comes up with a plan?"

Chris felt like a fog had fallen over his head. Everything seemed hazy and grey. Danny talked about him as if he was a mastermind, but he did not feel like that anymore. In fact, he wasn't even able to considerate other's feelings, it was hard to process what they were dealing with. _Danny supposedly fell in love madly with my wife, while I fell into numbness, Sam has scary nightmares, in which she could hurt someone, she broke my nose after all..._ "But what about Cathy? What is off with her?" He asked finally.

 _Friday evening, in Smith's house_

"Oh Cathy, how did you get yourself into this?" The white-haired elder asked her with a sadness in his voice.

His blonde grand-daughter let out a sigh followed with a sob. "I fell in love with him. Is that a bad thing?"

Cal was sitting next to his cousin, watching the whole scene while holding her hand. He made sure to sent her a reassuring thought once in a while and he did the same to their grandpa, who was collected by nature, yet calming words were needed in such a situation. "Is Danny the father?" She didn't have to say anything. They already knew the answer.

"You probably have many questions. How long it will take and so on. Human pregnancies last 9 months. You are in the third month, correct?" Cathy nodded hesitantly. "You are an alien and he's human. The pregnancy will last longer. Twice as much in fact. That way you can cheer the whole year, then graduate as if nothing's wrong, so that is good at least." Cathy was relieved to hear that. She couldn't imagine herself giving birth before she graduates from high school.

"Does Danny know about it?" Cal asked Cathy out loud. She shook her head. "I tried to tell him tonight but we were interrupted by a call from Chris. This brings us to the second problem - Sam had an impactful nightmare in which she was capable of breaking Chris' nose. If she could do that in her first dream, I am afraid of what will be next. Hopefully, boys won't let her fall asleep." _(A/N: They didn't...)_

Mr. Smith covered up his mouth in disbelief. The bad news kept on coming and coming. If Sam could do that, considering how strong she was, he knew they were on a highway to hell.

"At least you told her not to sleep again. Impactful nightmares can occur several times a night. Luckily, she won't be having those every night. If she has one and wakes up, she shouldn't go to sleep that night again in order to prevent a catastrophe. I heard there is a way to control what happens in the dream and thus in reality, but I am afraid that's something she has to found herself though. I hope her will is strong enough."

"How often will she be experiencing them?" Asked Cathy carefully. She was afraid of hearing the answer.

"When she is extremely stressed. Did she mention, what had happened before she fell asleep?"

"She found out her mother was the former monster buster and had been killed during the last "hunt". Chris told us he wanted to talk to her about something afterward." Stated Cal as if it was nothing. Cathy recalled her last conversation with Chris - she told him to talk with Sam about his uncertainty whether he loves her as much as he used to do before.

Cathy froze and gazed into void, as she realized the true colors of this all. "I hope all the gods of all the planets in the galaxy will stay by us. This is bad. This is really really bad! This could be the end of the road."

Cal and grandpa gave her a curious gaze. She explained: "I might be wrong, but consider this: Chris told me he's not sure if he loves Sam anymore. And if Chris doesn't love her while she sees him as a part of her and loves him to _death_ , all hell will break loose!"

Mr. Smith closed his eyes while realizing what is going on. "Add stress as a factor for having impactful nightmares - this can't end well."

Cal saw their point. "And if Sam will crumble..."

"...All of us will crumble as well." Whispered terrified Cathy.

The blonde monster buster woke up in the morning and after thinking about how great it was to still be alive, someone opened the door to her room. _It's probably my grandpa or Cal._ When the intruder came closer so she could finally see, who that was, it almost made her scream from shock. She couldn't believe her eyes. _This can't be true!_ One of her biggest fears, in her opinion the most frightening alien she could ever imagine, was standing in her bedroom.

 **So what do you think? Is Sam capable of finding a solution until it's too late? Will Cathy find out what the three did last night? And who is in her room? Could that be an alien who wants to cast a spell on her? What do you think will be Cathy's mental change? Is there even something to make matters worse at this point? Let me know in the reviews, so I know there is someone to write for! Love ya all.**

 _Get Into The Groove_


	9. 8: Promises

**Disclaimer: I don't own MBC nor the characters. Rated T for strong language and mature themes.**

 **Sorry for the delay! I have been quite busy with my studies lately. The exam season (and winter) is coming and studying should be my main focus for the next two months or so. Hopefully, I will pass all my exams on the first try and have more time to update this story again. (Update after the exam season: I did.) I am glad you are interested in reading it.**

 **To be honest, the plot is so complicated at this point that I have a hard time remembering who knows what and who does what and why. I am sure it will all make sense in the end and we will be relieved to finally get the big picture. If you liked the vibe of the second chapter (the cheer try-outs), you will probably like this one and the one that will come after it as well, as I am trying to get away from all the negativity, which will culminate later.**

The vibe of the chapter: Trick Me by Kelis (tune and lyrics-wise) - _Though I may love you, it hurts me deep inside, now you no longer have to hide..._

 **Normal POV**

Somewhere in outer space

"Is everything going according to the plan? Are we having fun yet?" Said the creepy creature. It was sitting on a throne. It scanned the whole room to know if their conversation was private. The creature who was standing in front of him had a lot of respect for its leader.

"Well... It could be better. Better for us, worse for them." Stuttered the follower.

"What do you mean, Hector? I thought that everything is settled, that the only thing we need to do now is to wait and anticipate whose soul we are going to steal."

"There are two problems to be exact, which we didn't consider, the second one we didn't expect."

The creature grinned. "I am listening."

"Do you remember the soul we got the last time? One of the monster busters is her daughter."

"And why should that concern us?"

The follower gulped. "She is her descendant, thus we are not able to mess with her mind in any way. But my counselor told me she had had an impactful nightmare tonight and was able to hurt her teammates in it."

"But that is just splendid! Screw the mind change, this way she can even do the dirty work for us! Unless she finds out, how to control her dreams."

"As far as I am concerned, the girl is very intelligent and mentally strong. If she manages to control the impact of her dreams, she can do almost everything... even revive the other souls."

"Are you talking about the prophecy? And what is the second problem you mentioned?"

"The alien of the group, the Rhapsodian, is pregnant with her human teammate."

The leader had burst into a laugh. "So we don't even have to mess with her head that much. The alien-human pregnancy will do that for us. Why do you refer to it as a _problem_?"

"We can take only one soul every decade. There is literally another creature growing inside her. Consider the descendant, which we can't really control and we are left with only two people to steal the soul from!" Said Hector with despair in his voice.

"Finally, I will have a soul from a human male. And you know what the silver lining is? The males won't be as cautious as the females since they know we had taken only the females till now. So, calm down Hector. Better think about what we are going to use the soul for this time."

 _Cathy's room_

The blonde monster buster woke up in the morning and after thinking about how great it was to still be alive, someone opened the door to her room. _It's probably my grandpa or Cal._ When the intruder came closer so she could finally see, who it was, it almost made her scream from shock. She couldn't believe her eyes. _This can't be true!_ One of her biggest fears, in her opinion the most frightening alien she could imagine, was standing in her bedroom.

"What are you doing here?" She was in denial. "You are not here! This is just a bad dream!" She pinched herself only to find out that she really was awake. "This can't be happening! Why now? Now it is not the right time!"

"Well... That's the thing, now is the right time. I really am here and I am willing to help you. You almost drowned in your dream. Thus your wet pajamas. Now you aren't in the water, so you are wide awake."

Cathy could feel the wet cold fabric on her skin. He was right, her pajamas were wet and she had a nightmare about drowning. Even though she tried hard to not fall asleep last night, she did not manage. It took her a while to realize, what was going on.

"Is everyone alright?" She asked.

The alien frowned. "Cathy, you know that I can't read the minds of people who are not physically close to me. I am sure you will find out during the cheer practice today though."

"I have to admit one thing. I appreciate that I don't have to explain anything to you. You just open my head and read it like a book. I am sure you know everything by now, so you can go home. As I said, now it is not the right time for games."

"You are wrong about that. As I said, now is the right time to have a mindreader by your side. Someone messes with your heads big time and waits till one of you has enough. Knowing what you all are about might help you. Don't forget that the reason why the two former members had died was a lack of communication and honesty."

Cathy knew Elton was right about it, yet it was tough to accept. This creature in front of her knew what she was going through, knew her feelings and all the worries. There was no point in denying or faking it. She didn't even have to say a thing. He knew. But did he understand?

The blonde alien burst into tears of despair. Her cousin sat on the bed and hugged her.

"Why everything has to be so complicated? Why life can't be easier?"

"I wouldn't prefer life to be easy. Easy doesn't make you grow. Easy doesn't make you a fighter. If everything was easy, you wouldn't be able to appreciate those small miracles of life. One of them is growing inside your belly. And the baby will need a stout mother."

"I am not sure I will... that I could... keep the baby." Uttered Cathy, dried her tears and stood up. The wet clothes were uncomfortable, so she decided to go to a bathroom and change. The cheer practice was about to begin in just an hour, so she opted for her gym clothes and came back.

"How. On Earth. Could you say such a thing?" Stuttered Elton at the very moment he saw her back in the room. "We both know what your heart craves."

"I don't think you know. Well... you can read my mind, yet you can't feel what I do, so you can't actually relate." She started sobbing again.

Elton let out a sigh. "The problem is, dear Cathy, that you don't want to hear the truth. You are denying it not only to me but to yourself!"

That statement made her angry. It made her angry because he was right _again_. The more she was thinking about it the more furious she was. "Oh yeah? I am pregnant with my ex, who flirts with every girl he sees and probably wouldn't be able to take proper care of a cactus. I know I should have had confided to Sam, but she would go frantic. Chris is uncommonly clueless about everything that is going on around him. Now I feel like Wendy fucking Walters is the only person I can confide to! One of us four will probably die soon and we won't even know why and how to stop it. I am just being realistic! So please explain to me, what am I denying!"

Elton remained calm as he always did. "I see that you don't want to tell me the whole truth. I wanted to tell you the truth so that you can hear it, but you don't even know why did you break up with him."

She raised her eyebrows and also her voice. "What? Of course, I do!"

"No, you don't. I know the same things as you do and I don't know, thus you don't know either. But maybe stating the facts could help you realize."

Cathy smirked and sat down on the bed beside him. "I would like to hear them then."

"Fine. You were together because you loved each other. Simple as that. And don't frown at me! You still do love him. The sad thing is that you know he still loves you back as well! But you two, because of some unknown reason, can't seem to come to terms with it. Are you scared of a commitment or what?"

Cathy sobbed. "I suppose we love each other. It was scary because it was getting serious. If it were just a fling or a one night stand, perhaps it would have been easier."

"You and Danny are like two bulls on a narrow bridge. Neither of you is willing to make a change, first step nor to admit true feelings. Don't be so stubborn, Cath. He deserves to know the whole truth. You deserve to be loved, your baby deserves to have loving parents. Please, promise me you will try to accept what you feel. It ain't anything to be ashamed of."

"I promise. But you gotta promise you will help me... please find out what he thinks. I don't think I could crawl back to him without being sure he wants to get together again."

Elton smiled at her because her request seemed reasonable to him and the whole situation appeared to be solvable at the moment. "You know that reading minds is something I truly enjoy and I would have to read his mind anyway... Get ready, so we get to the practice on time! I am coming with you to analyze the situation we are dealing with. And gosh, put some clothes on! Your outfit looks like underwear. "

Finally, Cathy giggled at something. She was kind of glad Elton was there for her to suspect other people's minds.

Callum joined his other two cousins and they had breakfast together. Cal could tell Cathy was feeling better and was hopeful.

Alexa promised Cal yesterday she will accompany Cathy to school and practice. She came on time, which was weird. She had a tendency to come late everywhere, but her company was her exact opposite - John was neat and punctual. He insisted on going to the practice with the girls in case of an alien invasion... and because he wanted to be around his crush.

When Cathy saw him, she was eager to know how Danny and the Langs had spent the night.

"To be honest, I don't know. I stayed with my parents and the three stayed at Sam's place. The only thing I know is that the light was on the whole night. Oh, and I saw them sitting on the porch by the time I was leaving. They looked terribly exhausted but safe and sound."

"I wouldn't mind chit-chatting here, but we have a basketball match to rock today and I, as a soccer player, need more time to adjust to that cheer crap than others." Stated Alexa with a laugh.

"I would be nervous if I had to dance in a short skirt while wearing blue thongs too." Uttered Elton out of the blue.

Alexa turned to him with eyes wide opened and John gulped. Elton knew that the only thing on John's mind for the next several hours will be Alexa's thongs and couldn't stop laughing. Alexa didn't know about Elton's mindreading abilities yet. She was mad at herself for not opting for more practical panties instead.

 _At the school_

As Alexa and John arrived at the gym, nearly everyone was already there. Cathy insisted on Elton staying out of sight just for the time being. She was nervous about him finding out whether Danny would like to date her again or not. She thought she could delay finding it out until the match. Elton nodded and promised to leave the gymnasium and not coming back until the match started. Cathy was glad to get that off her chest, at least for now. She took a look around and was glad to see familiar faces as the curvy girl from the try-outs and Wendy, who even though being her nemesis, felt quite close at those hard times. Cath was relieved to know that even seemingly perfect girls who "had it all" had troubles and insecurities about themselves as well. She came to her with a compassionate face.

"Are you feeling any better?"

Wendy did not even give her a look. She continued staring before her. "I am able to compete, thanks for asking. How about you?"

Cathy remembered what her grandpa told her about the pregnancy - it will take a year and a half to give birth. That would be suspicious. She lied. " _Luckily,_ I am not pregnant, the whole missed period thing was just a health issue."

"I hope you will work that awkwardness between you and Danny nevertheless. It wouldn't make our team justice." Wendy looked around her and noticed who was missing straight away. "Where is the boss lady?"

Cathy thought that Sam had already been there and left to get something for the training. "I haven't seen her either. I hope she is alright." A scary thought crept up inside her head. What if, despite what John told her in the morning, something had happened to them after all?

To her relief, Sam just walked inside with a big cartoon box.

"What is that, Miss Captain?" Wendy asked playfully.

"Our new uniforms. I think they are pretty, plus they are made from eco-cotton."

Wendy was about to laugh at the fact Sam puts the choice of the material above everything else.

"At least they are in the school colors, right?" Wendy kept on asking.

Sam opened the box and showed the top to Wendy instead of giving her an answer.

Wendy's jaw dropped. "Hey, it is like totally pretty. You did an unexpectedly great job."

"Except, it's gonna cost us 2000 dollars." Sam turned to Mark.

Mark frowned at her. "Do I have the letters A-T-M tattooed on my forehead or what?"

"I was thinking more like D-A-D-D-Y."

He thought about it for a while. "It is like the time when Lucius Malfoy sent a new expensive broomstick to everyone who was on Draco's team. My dad wouldn't like to see me cheer with a bunch of terribly dressed people either."

Sam took it as a yes and let everyone pick their size.

Cathy walked up to her. "What if Mark starts to think he should be a captain if his dad will pay for everything?"

Sam smiled at her. "He should use some of the money to buy him a clue."

Meanwhile, Elton was strolling through the school hallways while he was thinking about something to occupy himself for a certain period of time. As he was about to open the door leading to the staircase, his mind caught certain streams of thoughts. He would have perhaps needed more time to process them, but the owners of the thoughts were at the door already and wasted no time to open it. He saw who that was and both parties froze for a bit.

Elton gasped at what he had just read.

Danny turned to Chris and asked him. "Do you think he knows already?"

"What cheek! You bet I know what you did last night and how many times you did it. I even see your motives, I don't get it though."

Chris and Danny wished to be somewhere else. They envied Sam for not being there with them at the moment, even though the juicy secret was involving her and Elton knew everything he could read.

"I am so mad at both of you! How could you do that? Dan, you and Cathy broke up not so long ago. Chris, you should have had prevented it somehow, given the facts."

Elton could see that Danny was clueless about Cathy's pregnancy. Chris, on the other hand, knew about it and potentially harmed the relationship between the two soon to be parents.

"Your minds aren't what I remember them to be. I don't recognize you two."

Chris felt like sharing a piece of his wisdom. "It is not like we are lying about anything. Even though humans are the only species that can lie. Except for maybe chameleons. And possums, they play dead."

Danny certainly felt like playing dead. "Don't tell Cathy, please. It would hurt her," he begged.

"You bet it would. Even though it is horrible to keep her in the dark, we can't tell her about it. Not now at least. She just started to feel better and... I don't want her to do a wrong decision."

He remained silent for a while just to think of all the consequences the last night romance could have had. He felt like going for a walk to forget all that mess.

"Have a good time at the practice. Break a leg."

Chris had an urge to correct him. "That is theater, this is cheering."

Elton looked over his shoulder. "You two better believe it," and with that, he left the building.

The two had exchanged a look. They both felt guilt and hoped that Elton won't betray them and tell Cathy.

 **Oh, a drama again! The story is set in high school, so it makes sense. Do you think Elton will tell Cathy? Do Danny and Cathy have a chance to rekindle their relationship and become parents after all of this?**

 **Get Into The Groove**


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